By Mohamed Foday Conteh
The Executive Director for the Centre for Accountability and Rule of Law-Sierra Leone (CARL-SL), Ibrahim Tommy has said they will embark on massive public education with locals on the review of the new constitution.
Speaking at a press briefing held at the organisation’s office on Circular Road in Freetown, on the 7th of January 2022, the Executive Director said the process is necessary since it will bring transparency and inclusiveness between the government and its citizens before the new constitution is drafted in Parliament.
“Members of the public should be kept informed,” Tommy said while underscoring the recommendations made by the late Justice Edmond Cowan of the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) which was launched by former President Ernest Bai Koroma.
Tommy said President Julius Maada Bio’s administration set up a committee to advise government on the review and that the process has been completed, with a white paper expected soon. He added that part of their goal as an organisation is to ascertain whether Cowan’s recommendations were followed or new inputs made.
He said they and their partners wish to channel what is in the white paper to the citizenry and later get back to the government with feedbacks from the people.
He affirmed that the engagement process can go without releasing of the white paper by the government through advocacy.
Tommy noted that they will be working with other civil society organisations like the Institute for Governance Reform (IGR), Action Aid Sierra Leone, Centre for Democracy and Human Rights and Movement for Resettlement and Rural Development to formulate a coordinated strategy for the review process to be transparent and participatory.
He affirmed that they wish to create a ‘feedback loop’ that will keep citizens informed and engaged at each stage of the process. He added that this will create a speedy, accountable and citizen-led constitutional review process since there is an enormous chance of interaction between the government and the citizenry.
He stated that the project is being funded with a $100,000 grant from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA).
Tommy said his organisation also aims at bringing about ‘increased awareness and wider citizens’ participation’ by working with media houses and other civil society organisations in order to stimulate a ‘national conversation’ and bring pressure on government for openness and expediency of the entire process.
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