How to register
a political party
Preamble
- Two(2) copies of the constitution and rules, if any, of the association duly signed by the interim national or leader and by the interim national or general secretary of the association stating:
- The name of the proposed political party; and
- Briefly but clearly, the aims, objectives, purposes and programmes of the association, which shall not be inconsistent with the Constitution; and
- The internal organisation of the party which shall reflect the democratic principles enunciated in the Constitution including provision for the free and fair election of the leadership of the proposed party at regular intervals;
- The business address of the proposed political party in Freetown and the names of persons who are authorized to accept and issue process on behalf of the proposed political party;
- The address of the registered office in each of the provincial headquarters-towns and in the Western Area which is owned or leased for at least five years by the association for the purposes of the proposed political party;
- An abbreviation of the name of the proposed political party, if any, which may be used on ballot papers and in full description of its symbol, colour or motto;
- Such other particulars of the matters stated in paragraphs (a) to (d) as may be prescribed;
- A non-refundable registration fee of Le 2,500,000 (Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Leones)
The Commission shall, immediately upon receipt of the application, issue the association with a provisional certificate of registration as a political party and shall cause a notice of the application to be published in a Government Notice not later than seven days after receiving it.
The Government Notice on the application shall invite objections from any person concerning the constitution, name, aims, objectives, rules, if any, symbol, colour or motto of the association.
The commission mat in addition to inviting objections to the application, cause independent enquires to be made so as to ascertain the truth or correctness of the particulars submitted within the application for registration.
On the expiration of sixty days after the publication of the Government Notice, the commission shall, if satisfied that all the provisions of the Constitution and this Act with respect to registration have been complied with, register the association as a political party.
Where within the sixty-days period, any objection has been brought to the notice of the Commission, it shall not register the association until the objection has been disposed of to the satisfaction of the Commission.
If, (a) the commission upholds the objection or (b) enquiries made disclose that any of the particulars submitted with the application for registration is false or incorrect, the commission shall refuse to register the association and shall cancel the provisional certificate issued to the association.
The Commission shall, upon registering an association as a political party, issue to that association a final certificate of registration which shall be evidence that the provisions of the Constitution and the Political Parties Act with respect to the registration have been complied with.
No Political Party shall organise or hold any public meeting unless it has been issued with the final certificate of registration by the Commission.
No Association shall submit to the commission for the purpose of an application any symbol which, in the opinion of the Commission, is obscene, or a name, symbol, colour, or motto which is the same as the name, colour or motto:
- of any existing political party; or
- Of the Republic; or
- which so closely resembles the name, symbol, colour or motto of any existing political party or of the Republic as to be likely to deceive the members of the public.
