By Abdulai Fasineh Dumbuya
The head of Sierra Leone’s Human Rights Commission has said that the Constitutional review process should be completed by the committee since the 1991 Constitution was not adequately participated and therefore needs review.
Simitie Lavaly Esq. made this statement during the Government Weekly Press Conference organized by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building on May 14, 2024.
She said several attempts had been made to patch-up the 1991 constitution and had always resulted in a number of failures and the previous review, which was supervised by Justice Cowan Constitutional Review Committee, fell shorts of completion and citizens’ expectations.
She said so many resources have gone into handling the constitutional review process, but more than anything else, periodic elections have been fundamentally contributing to the numerous setbacks of the entire process. Despite facing an increasing pressure, she said they are keen to completing the entire process as well as addressing any emergency issues that might hinder the actions going forward.
“Invariably the reason why some of those processes did not complete was due to the intervention of several parodic elections which hindered the mood and efficiency of the entire constitutional review processes,” she emphasized.
Additional issue she highlighted that had impeded the review process was the public reaction whenever there is an attempt by any government to review the constitution, saying the public would decimate the process by associating unworthy interpretations and comments that the leaders wanted to give themselves undue advantage because they were in power.
To avoid all those fault-find game, she said the best moment is now to carry out the needed review because Sierra Leone had its last elections a year ago and there are more years before the next elections.
Sierra Leone’s Human Right Commission, birthed by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, she said has been in the forefront of constitutional review advocacy for far too long and has ensured a total adherence to the basic rights of citizens as well as their responsibilities to the state. She said if citizens are well-equipped with the requisite knowledge about their rights and duties, there is the best chance for them to be part of national development and uphold the livied reality of patriotism; rather than they being unhelpful to the state.
She noted that constitution has the human right space for everybody, including women and girls, youths and persons with disability. She also stated that the constitution must be compatible with the things government will have to sign in global arena, which will guide public representatives like ministers, ambassadors in conducting their duties worldwide.
Commenting the relevance of constitution for any given state, she said it ensures accountability, adding that it also holds public office holders accountable for their actions and inactions and creates shared meaningful relationship between the citizens and their governments.
The establishment of the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone (HRCSL) was provided for in the Lome Peace Agreement of 1999, recommended in the 2004 Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), and the Commissioners were finally sworn in December 2006.
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