IFES
 

June 24, 2023 Held

Sierra Leone
Republic of Sierra Leone
Election for Sierra Leonean Parliament

Results

Voter Participation


Cast Votes:2,795,864
Valid Votes:2,784,675
Invalid Votes:11,189
Voter
Turnout*

Vote Share by Party:

Party Seats Won Seats Change Votes

Sierra Leone People's Party 81 - 1,578,259

56.45%

All People's Congress 54 - 1,276,882

45.67%
Election Results Modified: Nov 06, 2023

General Information

At Stake in this Election: 

  • 132 seats of the Parliament of Sierra Leone 

Government Structure:  

  • Chief of State: President Julius Maada BIO (since 4 April 2018) 

  • Head of Government: President Julius Maada BIO (since 4 April 2018) 

  • Assembly: unicameral Parliament with 146 seats 

Electoral System:  

  • The President is directly elected by absolute majority vote in up to two rounds.  The President may serve up to two 5-year terms. 

  • In Parliament, 132 members are directly elected by proportional representation vote in 16 multi-seat constituencies (districts). The remaining 14 members are indirectly elected from among the Paramount Chiefs of Sierra Leone. 

  • Paramount Chiefs are non-partisan local leaders indirectly elected from among certain families (ruling houses) by Chiefdom Councillors. 

Last Election: 

In 2018, the All People’s Congress (APC) won a slim parliamentary majority with 68 seats.  The Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) won 48 seats, and two other parties and three independent candidates won the remaining 15 seats. Voter turnout was 78%. 

New/Unique in this Election:  

In 2023, the 132 directly elected members of parliament will be elected by proportional representation vote within each of the 16 districts of Sierra Leone, eliminating the previous simple majority vote system. This electoral system change was requested by President Bio and approved by the Supreme Court. Indirect elections for the 14 parliamentary seats reserved for Paramount Chiefs were held on 20 May 2023. Additionally, the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act, passed in January 2023, will reserve 30% of parliamentary seats for women.  

Key Deadlines: 

Main Candidates in this Election: 

  • All People’s Congress (APC

  • Leader: Ernest Bai KOROMA 

  • Seats won in last election: 68 out of 132 

  • Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP

  • Leader: Julius Maada BIO 

  • Seats won in last election: 48 out of 132 

  • National Grand Coalition (NGC) 

  • Leader: Kandeh Kolleh YUMKELLA 

  • Seats won in last election: 4 out of 132 

  • Coalition for Change (C4C

  • Leader: Tamba SANDI 

  • Seats won in last election: 8 seats out of 132 

Population and Registered Voters: 

Gender Data: 

Disability Data: 

IFES Resources: 

  • Does IFES have a presence in Sierra Leone: No, past presence 

  • Election Access: Yes 

  • Election Judgements: Yes, 2 judgements and 10 resources 

Election Modified: Jul 10, 2023

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