Event Summary
On 31 March 2026, the Speaker of Parliament, Sengepoh Solomon Thomas, has suspended a motion seeking to establish a parliamentary committee to investigate the CSO National Elections Watch (NEW). The motion, moved by Mustapha Sellu, called on Parliament to examine and scrutinize the financial flows, funding sources, expenditures, and accountability mechanisms of NEW from January 2016 to the present. It also proposed that the appropriate parliamentary committee be mandated to conduct a comprehensive investigation and report its findings within a specified timeframe, in the interest of transparency, good governance and accountability.
Presenting the motion, Hon. Sellu informed the House that the initiative was based on a letter from the National Consortium on Public Accountability, which urged Parliament to investigate the operations of NEW. The letter put emphasis on the management of donor funds. Seconding the motion, Maada Lebby described the proposed investigation as timely and necessary, stating that it is within Parliament’s oversight responsibilities.
Ruling on the matter, the Speaker cited its sensitivity and emphasized the need for careful consideration and sound judgment before any further action is taken.
This issue speaks to attempts by Members of Parliament to censor NEW after the Deputy Speaker Hon. Tawa Conteh made similar call in February 2026. The attempt by politicians to use civil society to achieve their political objectives also points to the vulnerability and the infiltration of the CSO space in Sierra Leone.