The All People’s Congress (APC), Sierra Leone’s main opposition party has firmly rejected the continued imposition of the Proportional Representation (PR) system in the country’s electoral process, calling for an immediate restoration of the constituency-based system.

This declaration was made by the APC’s National Secretary General during the party’s Monthly Parliamentary Press Briefing held at the party headquarters at Brookfields Railway Line, Freetown, on Wednesday 25th June 2025.

Addressing journalists and party supporters, the Secretary General argued that the PR system undermines the democratic principles of accountability and representative governance enshrined in the national constitution.

“Let me begin by stating unequivocally that the All People’s Congress Party rejects the continued imposition of the proportional representation system as the basis of our electoral democracy,” he said.

“We firmly advocate for the restoration of the constituency-based electoral system, which is the constitutionally provided and most democratic method for electing members of parliament.”

He said the constituency system fosters a stronger, more transparent link between voters and their elected representatives, ensuring that Members of Parliament (MPs) are directly answerable to their communities.

He explained that under the PR system, this bond is lost, with MPs becoming more accountable to political parties than to the people who should have elected them.

“In the constituency system, the candidate must return to their communities. They must listen to the needs of the people, earn their trust, and work to deliver development,” he said. “But under PR, millions of voters are reduced to statistics. A vote in Kailahun is bundled with votes from Pujehun, Kenema, and Kono.

It’s no longer about the will of the people, but about mathematical calculations.”

He further criticized the ruling government for allegedly using the PR system as a political tool to weaken opposition strength by merging areas with different political leanings, which he described as a form of “gerrymandering in disguise.”

“The government favours PR because it dilutes opposition struggles,” he added.

“It blurs the lines of popular will and steals parliamentary seats that should rightly go to other political parties.”

The APC official accused the government and electoral authorities of carrying out “secret consultations” on electoral reforms with select civil society organizations and political actors without involving the general public.

“You say consultations are ongoing, but which civil society groups have been consulted? Where were these consultations held?

We want a broad, inclusive consultation process not secret meetings in small rooms with select individuals,” he said.

He emphasized that the people of Sierra Leone must be allowed to decide which electoral system they prefer, urging citizens to voice their opposition to the PR system.

“If you allow the PR system, you will not be able to identify your MP. They will have no obligation to develop your community or be accountable to you,” he said.

In a strong conclusion, the Secretary General stated: “Sierra Leone is not a dictatorship. Our democracy is not for sale.

Our votes are not for manipulation.

And the APC will not relent in fighting to restore true representation and uphold the Constitution.”