Catherine Tarawallie Demands Resolution 20, Council Backlog Payments
By Mo Hamad Kargbo
At the Makeni Civic Day held at UNIMAK on Tuesday, 16th September 2025, Honourable Catherine Zainab Tarawallie Deputy Whip of the opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) and Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Gender and Children’s Affairs renewed calls for the full implementation of the Unity Agreement signed in October 2023 between the government and the APC.
Hon. Tarawallie highlighted Resolution 20 as central to the process, stressing that it mandates Parliament to establish a committee to review the operations of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL), with leadership from the opposition. She revealed that Parliament and other stakeholders had already completed their responsibilities, and the matter was set to be returned to Parliament for constitutional alignment.
“If it is necessary for us to amend, we amend,” she told journalists. “Since ECSL is funded by government, Parliament has a duty to oversee its operations like all ministries, departments, and agencies.”
She further argued that the drafters of the 1991 Constitution may have overlooked this oversight role, but assured that any amendment would be pursued through consensus, avoiding entrenched or divisive clauses.
Reflecting on the 2023 crisis, she credited international mediation for restoring calm, noting that the tripartite process involving the government, APC, and mediators had already led to the release of most political detainees.
Despite progress, she raised concerns over financial backlogs still owed to local councils. “It may not be a huge sum, but it is better they pay it,” she insisted, calling on authorities to honour all commitments under the agreement.
Hon. Tarawallie concluded by emphasizing that the resolutions remain binding: “Whether now or later, they must be implemented. It is a memorandum of understanding between the government and the APC, and we will continue to push for its fulfilment.”
