The Institute for Legal Research and Advocacy for Justice (ILRAJ) has called on government to withdraw the proposed appointment of Mr. Edmond Sylvester Alpha as Chief Electoral Commissioner of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone.
In a statement issued in Freetown on 13th February 2026, ILRAJ urged President Julius Maada Bio to reconsider the nomination through a letter from the Office of the President dated 10th February 2026. ILRAJ thinks that although it is important to fill positions in key public institutions, this particular nomination is characterized by serious legal, procedural, and democratic concerns.
The nomination is based on Section 32(3) of the 1991 Constitution. However, ILRAJ points out that the Constitution of Sierra Leone Amendment Act 2025 Bill is pending in Parliament. The proposed amendment seeks to amend Section 32 of the Constitution by providing for a Search and Nomination Committee to ensure transparency and merit in the nomination of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone.
In the view of ILRAJ, to go ahead with the substantive appointment before Parliament is done with its considerations would be contrary to the spirit and intention of the proposed reforms that are pending. Mr. Alpha is already in office on an acting capacity, thus ensuring that there is continuity in the Commission. In this regard, the organization questions the need for the appointment to be confirmed before the legislative process is completed. It has thus called on the President to withdraw the proposal pending the completion of the legislative process by Parliament.
ILRAJ also places the appointment in the context of what it perceives to be a trend of partisan appointments to institutions that are supposed to operate independently. The organization reminds one that in the 2023 general elections, several commissioners of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone were widely seen to be sympathetic to the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party, thus contributing to the public perception that the electoral process was not credible. It also raises similar concerns about the current leadership of the Political Parties Regulation Commission.
Regarding the issue of consultation, ILRAJ refers to the provisions of Section 32(3), which state that the President must appoint members of the Commission after consultation with the leaders of all registered political parties and with the approval of Parliament. The organization argues that in reality, the process of consultation has been limited to a letter requesting a response within three working days, which is not in line with the spirit of multiparty consensus.
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ILRAJ has therefore called on President Bio to withdraw the nomination, conduct genuine consultations with political stakeholders, and align the process with Tripartite Recommendation 36 and the pending constitutional reforms. It has further urged Parliament not to ratify what it describes as a rushed appointment, but instead to prioritize reforms that strengthen transparency and restore confidence in Sierra Leone’s democratic institutions.
