Sewa News Stream

  The threshold for electing a president remains a contentious issue in Sierra Leone.  Truth Media shared a 5-minute interview clip with Alpha Sesay, the attorney general and justice minister, who has publicly opposed extraditing a convicted Dutch drug dealer with over 100 convictions in Europe for narcotrafficking.  The Truth Media podcast host quoted the draft legislation: a person shall not be declared elected as president of Sierra Leone unless at the presidential election he obtains a simple majority of the total valid vote cast throughout Sierra Leone, and a minimum of 20 percent of the total valid vote cast in at least two-thirds of the districts of Sierra Leone .  Sesay stated that President Julius Maada Bio supports the bill to ensure broad representation in presidential elections.  He noted that the All People's Congress, the Sierra Leone People's Party, and other minority groups agree the 55 percent threshold is high, and he believes Sierra Leone may ...

The next president of Sierra Leone may be required to secure 20 percent of the valid votes cast in 11 of the 16 districts.  With an estimated population of 7 million and approximately 2 million registered voters, a 20 percent threshold equates to 44,000 people, or proportionally, 12,571 voters.  If the combined population of the 11 districts is 220,000, then multiplying 11 by 20,000 yields the target of 44,000 people, which is 20 percent of 220,000.  The national voter proportion is 28.57 percent, calculated by dividing 2,000,000 by 7,000,000.  The total number of district voters is 62,857, determined by multiplying 220,000 by 28.57 percent.  The target win is 12,571 voters, which is 20 percent of 62,857.  While these calculations may appear convoluted, they have reportedly informed the strategies of 2028 presidential contender David Sengeh, who is said to have utilized artificial intelligence to develop his own electoral formula.  However, civil socie...