In yet another glaring example of the ruling SLPP government’s disdain for democratic accountability, the All People’s Congress (APC) Opposition in Parliament has been forced to take a principled stand by suspending participation in all parliamentary sittings and committee activities. This bold move, as announced by Hon. Abdul Kargbo, Leader of the Opposition, reflects growing alarm over the ruling regime’s persistent abuse of institutional norms and its systematic erosion of good governance practices.
At the centre of this latest controversy is the Clerk of Parliament, who is actively contesting for an executive position within his political party while still serving in a role that demands neutrality, impartiality, and trust. Such conduct would be scandalous in any democracy but under the SLPP, it is par for the course.
Let us not forget: this is not the first time the Clerk, Paran Tarawally, has been embroiled in unethical behaviour. Under his leadership, Parliament has already suffered serious reputational damage. Most notoriously, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) uncovered that Mr. Tarawally had employed his own wife in a ghost position. She was on the government payroll, receiving a salary from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, without performing any duties or showing up for work.
Rather than taking strict disciplinary action, the ACC under the current SLPP regime shielded Mr. Tarawally from real consequences. There was no transparent investigation, no prosecution, no reform. Instead, this shameful breach of public trust was buried under a mountain of partisan silence. One can only conclude that loyalty to the party trumps loyalty to the nation under President Bio’s leadership.
The current Clerk’s continued grip on his position, even while campaigning within his political party, is not only a breach of civil service codes, it is a direct threat to the sanctity of Parliament. Parliament is supposed to be the heartbeat of democratic governance, a place where laws are debated with reason, not manipulated through political puppetry. When the very administrators of Parliament become politically compromised, public confidence is shattered, and the legitimacy of the institution collapses.
The APC, in its press release dated Tuesday, 10th June 2025, rightly pointed out that “the Clerk’s conduct threatens public confidence in the institution’s independence and credibility.” Their decision to withdraw from parliamentary proceedings is not about disruption, it is a protective measure aimed at preserving the last vestiges of institutional integrity in a democracy that is being corroded by SLPP’s authoritarian tendencies.
In any other functional democracy, Mr. Tarawally would have been asked to step aside pending a full investigation. But in Sierra Leone, under the current SLPP, malfeasance is not only tolerated; it is rewarded.
This dangerous precedent where public servants are allowed to abuse their office with impunity will have long-lasting consequences unless the public demands better. The SLPP has repeatedly demonstrated that it does not believe in the rule of law, the separation of powers, or checks and balances. Whether it is the politicisation of the civil service, the muzzling of dissenting voices, or the tampering with some democratic institutions.
As the APC calls for the resignation or dismissal of the Clerk of Parliament, they are also sending a wider message to all Sierra Leoneans: that Sierra Leone deserves leadership that respects institutions, upholds integrity, and governs for the people, not just for political survival.
The future of Sierra Leone’s democracy cannot be mortgaged to partisan convenience. The APC stands as a bulwark against the creeping authoritarianism of the SLPP and this latest principled protest is a reminder that in the face of political decay, courage, integrity, and accountability must prevail.
