Freetown, 14th August 2026- As tensions mount over constitutional and electoral reform, Bishop J. Archibald Cole, General Overseer of New Life Ministries International and a respected voice from the religious community, has issued a strong appeal for restraint, dialogue, and national unity, warning that political expediency must not override constitutional order.
Speaking against the backdrop of disagreements between Government and Opposition, Bishop Cole stressed that the 1991 Constitution remains the nation’s common ground and should never be treated as an instrument of convenience. He cautioned that disputes over Section 91 (parliamentary voting) and Section 108 (constitutional amendment procedures) must be resolved through lawful interpretation, not partisan advantage.
The Bishop acknowledged that proposals to shift Sierra Leone’s electoral system from First‑Past‑the‑Post to Proportional Representation deserve serious national consideration. However, he warned that such reforms are not merely technical changes but could reshape representation, accountability, and citizen engagement.
“Do not allow political urgency to become constitutional haste,” he urged, emphasizing that reforms must be lawful, transparent, inclusive, and widely understood if they are to endure.
Bishop Cole reminded the ruling majority that numerical strength in Parliament carries responsibility, not just power. Decisions, he said, must strengthen public confidence and respect constitutional limits.
At the same time, he appealed to the Opposition to exercise dissent responsibly, warning that walkouts should not replace dialogue, legal argument, and institutional engagement.
The Bishop cautioned against politicising the Constitution, stressing that it must mean the same thing whether a party is in Government or Opposition. He urged citizens not to allow political leaders to sow division, reminding them that APC, SLPP, and other parties are all part of Sierra Leone.
“Our political differences must never become a justification for hatred, violence, intimidation, religious division, or ethnic hostility,” he said.
Bishop Cole called on Government, Opposition, Parliament, civil society, religious leaders, and the legal profession to create space for structured national dialogue on reform. He outlined key principles such dialogue should uphold: constitutional legality, transparency, inclusiveness, legitimacy, public understanding, and long‑term stability.
His final appeal was stark: “Do not win the argument and lose the nation.”
He urged leaders to exercise humility, responsibility, and discipline, while citizens demand accountability without hatred. “Sierra Leone is bigger than the political moment in which we find ourselves,” he concluded, praying for wisdom, courage, and grace to preserve peace and unity.
