By Sulaiman Jalloh

It is of no secret that Parliament is one of the important buildings in a country and Sierra Leone is not an exception. In India, Parliament is referred to as the supreme legislative body of India. For Sierra Leone, it is responsible for making and amending laws.

For it significance, there should be some security measures to guide anyone who may wish to visit and or have business with Members of Parliament.

On the 18th, October 2024, the clerk of Parliament Hon. Umar Paran Tarawallie announced new security measures for especially strangers or visitors to the precincts of parliament aimed at allowing members of parliament to do their work
freely. An announcement that has captured public interest depends who you talk to there already divergence views.

The constitution of Sierra Leone talks about the Rights, privileges and obligations of Members of Parliament to the people of the country and it also says Parliament shall regulates itself.

Among the security measures announced are but not limited to, visitors should be in formal dresses to gain access to Parliament and that any/every visitor should present formal identification including passport, national identity card or driver’s license among others.

Except for measure six that says everyone should leave their phone at the entrance. What happened to journalists, diplomats, ministers and other prominent individuals in society? Phone is not only the electronic device that can take photo, record video or audio! How about media practitioners who father information for public consumption. Yes, Parliament can regulate itself within the law but otherwise is becomes ambiguous and needs proper interpretation.

Certainly, not all ministers may have business in the chamber but at the gallery expect for a minister who is laying paper for Parliament to debate.

The sixth Parliament has been regarded as the most open Parliament in the history of Sierra Leone but if the new measures are implemented. Perhaps or outside the law then it questions Parliamentary openness and open rooms for unanswerable questions.

My concerns would be how will these security measures be implemented on who because already MPs don’t know the number visitors they expecting and in fact not all Parliamentarians have offices. The bigger again is will there be civic or public engaged to informed citizens about the announce and who will do that on behalf of Parliament.

Drama is expected to unfold between security offices and citizens (strangers/visitors) of Parliament especially those may refuse to leave their phones or not want to signed the visitors’ book. Other school of thought believe that these measures are aimed at restricting citizens to visit their law makers while others believed that Parliament is trying to match international best practices.

Parliaments around the World are well secured with some restrictions for visitors and if Sierra Leone try to follow suit it will allow MPs to move and interact freely within the Parliament.