The Clerk of the Parliament of Sierra Leone, Karmoh K. Conteh represented Sierra Leone, and given his eloquence and sound knowledge in parliamentary administration was overwhelmingly elected by his peers as the First Vice President of the Association, during the Sixth Annual Conference of the Association of Clerks and Secretaries General of African Parliaments (ASGAP), held at the Pan African Parliament (PAP) in Midrand, South Africa.
The conference, which officially opened on 27th September 2025, brought together Clerks and Secretaries General of Africa Parliaments from across Africa to strengthen collaboration and enhance the role of parliamentary institutions in Africa’s democratic governance.
The opening session was jointly presided over by Mr. El Khadi, Vice President of ASGAP (Morocco), and Ms. Lindiwe Khumalo, Clerk of the Pan African Parliament.
Both leaders emphasized the need for deeper collaboration and cooperation aimed at advancing Africa’s governance agenda with Clerks and Secretaries General at the centre of administrative activities.
In her keynote, Ms. Khumalo described Clerks and Secretaries General as the “custodians of parliamentary integrity and institutional memory, and the unseen architects of legislative effectiveness.”
She stressed the importance of ensuring that treaties and decisions adopted in Addis Ababa are effectively domesticated and implemented within national and regional parliaments.
Mr. El Khadi urged delegates to engage in deeper debates on the objectives of ASGAP and the broader role of parliamentary institutions in Africa’s sustainable development.
In his contribution, Mr. Conteh addressed the need for financial sustainability of ASGAP by proposing that the Association should not require separate membership subscriptions, which will be a burden on governments. Instead, he suggested that ASGAP’s membership contributions should be integrated and aligned with the African Union’s system, similar to the arrangements within ECOWAS. He further recommended that ASGAP formally request financial support in the same way provisions are made for Members of Parliament to ensure prudent financial management in light of transparency and accountability.
The key outcomes of the conference include the following:
1. Election of Officers
• President: Morocco
• First Vice President: Sierra Leone
• Second Vice President: Burundi
(Each region was represented by two states: Northern Africa – Morocco & Libya; Central Africa – Chad & Burundi; Western Africa – Sierra Leone & Benin; Southern Africa – Botswana & Angola; Eastern Africa – Kenya & Somalia.)
2. Adoption of Revised Constitution and Rules of ASGAP.
3. Review of AU Treaties and Decisions, with debates on strategies to accelerate domestication and implementation of AU/PAP commitments.
4. Africa’s Role in Global Parliamentary Networks, with discussions on opportunities for coordinated action and strategic engagement.
Following his excellent contribution and experience in parliamentary administration, Mr. Conteh ended up chairing the afternoon session after it was unanimously endorsed by the Executive Members.
The election of Mr. Karmoh K. Conteh, as First Vice President of ASGAP, marked a significant achievement for Sierra Leone and espoused the country’s growing role in shaping Africa’s legislative and governance landscape.
Karmoh K. Conteh is the new Clerk of Parliament, who has been recently appointed in line with a constitutional provision by the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Brigadier Retired Dr. Julius Maada Bio to superintend over the administration of the Parliament of the Republic of Sierra Leone, following the resignation of the former Clerk of Parliament.
Credit – Parliamentary and Public Relations Department
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Wednesday, 8th October 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
