Sierra Leone

Electoral competition is significantly skewed in favor of the ruling party, to the point where the real, mainstream political opposition has a highly unlikely, although realistic chance to win. The regime has hindered the mainstream opposition’s campaign, engaged in significant electoral law manipulation and voting irregularities, benefited from unfair campaign advantages, and undermined independent electoral oversight.

Independent media, political leaders, civil society leaders, and members of the general public are seriously and unfairly hindered in their ability to openly criticize or challenge the regime. Although citizens regularly demonstrate, authorities unfairly repress protests or gatherings through excessive use of force, broad curfews, communication shutdowns, denial of protest permits, and the targeting of protest organizers. The regime and its affiliated non-state actors have intimidated independent, dissenting media, political leaders, and members of the general public and unfairly obstructed their work to the extent that the overall ability to openly criticize the authorities has been notably hindered, though not completely eliminated.

Institutions are somewhat independent but frequently constrained by the regime in a way that enables it to repress criticism and significantly undermine electoral competition. The judiciary remains vulnerable to executive influence as the president appoints both judges and the members of the Judicial Service Commission that recommends them. It is a recurrent practice in Sierra Leone for a new administration, upon taking office, to replace key judicial and legal figures, especially the Chief Justice, Attorney General, and, at times, senior judges.