| Parliament name |
Parliament |
| Structure of parliament |
Unicameral |
| LEGAL FRAMEWORK |
| Electoral Law |
7 February 2002
The Electoral Laws Act, 2002 |
| Mode of designation |
directly elected 132
indirectly elected 14 |
| Constituencies |
- 132 single-seat constituencies |
| Voting system |
Majority:
Single-member plurality system ("first past the post")
Candidates who are elected under a party list but switch to another political party after the election must resign as members of parliament.
By-elections are held within six months to fill vacancies which arise between general elections.
Voting is not compulsory. |
| Voter requirements |
- age: 18 years at the time of registration
- Sierra Leonean citizenship, including naturalized citizens
- disqualifications: insanity, imprisonment, electoral offences |
| CANDIDATES |
| Eligibility |
- qualified electors
- age: 21 years at the time of registration
- Sierra Leonean citizenship (naturalized citizens must have resided in Sierra Leone for 25 consecutive years after naturalization, or have served in the Civil or Regular Armed Services of Sierra Leone for a continuous period of 25 years)
- proficiency in written and spoken English
- membership of a political party
Ineligibilities:
- allegiance to a foreign State
- persons under sentence of death
- persons sentenced to imprisonment exceeding 12 months
- persons convicted and sentenced for an offence which involves fraud or dishonesty
- members of the Armed Forces
- Paramount Chiefs
- civil servants
- persons disqualified from practicing their profession in Sierra Leone
- persons involved in the conduct of any election to Parliament
- persons convicted of any offence connected with the election of MPs
- persons of unsound mind |
| Incompatibilities |
- the President and Vice-president
- ministers and deputy ministers
- members of any commission established under Constitution
- members of the armed forces |
| Candidacy requirements |
Candidates must have the support of at least three registered voters in the constituency in which they are running.
- deposit of 100,000 leones (equivalent to US$ 34)
The deposit is reimbursable if a) the candidate dies before election day; b) the election does not take place; or c) the candidate obtains at least one tenth of the total number of votes cast. |
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Electoral system module
