On 5 October, the Head of the EU Delegation Ambassador Manuel Müller participated at the opening of the Reform of the Political Parties Act National Validation Conference, supported by the EU Delegation and the UNDP, together with the Chief Minister Hon. Jaccob Jusu Saffa and the Chairperson of the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC) Mr. Abdulai M Bangura.

The 3-days event, which gathers representatives from Sierra Leonean political parties, will discuss possible reforms of the Political Parties Act, including those in line with the recommendations of Electoral Observation Missions.

Ambassador Manuel Müller underlined the European Union’s commitment to supporting the strengthening of Sierra Leone’s democracy and governance, including the election management bodies and the legal framework for elections.

He commended Sierra Leone, and the Electoral Management Bodies in particular, for their commitment towards electoral legal reforms and their active follow up to the implementation of the Electoral Observation Missions recommendations, including those to improve laws, regulations and practices concerning political parties and electoral campaigns in the country. He encouraged all stakeholders to embrace this opportunity to demonstrate ambition towards this agenda and the reform of the Political Parties Act, long overdue.