SECTION 32:

(1) There shall be an Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone.

(2) The members of the Electoral Commission shall be a Chief Electoral Commissioner, who shall be Chairman, and four other members who shall be known as Electoral Commissioners.

(3) The members of the Electoral Commission shall be appointed by the President after consultation with the leaders of all registered political parties and subject to the approval of Parliament.

(4) A person shall not be qualified—

(a) for appointment as a member of the Electoral Commission if he is not qualified to be elected as a Member of Parliament, or

(b) to hold office as a member of the Electoral Commission if he is a Minister, a Deputy Minister, a Member of Parliament, or a public officer, or if he has attained the age of sixty-five years.

(5) The terms and conditions of service of members of the Electoral Commission shall be such as Parliament shall prescribe.

(6) A member of the Electoral Commission shall before assuming the functions of his office, take and subscribe before the President the Oath as set out in the Third Schedule to this Constitution.

(7) Subject to the provisions of this section, a member of the Electoral Commission shall vacate his office—

(a) at the expiration of five years from the date of his appointment; or

(b) on attaining the age of sixty-five years; or

(c) if any circumstances arise which, if he were not a member of the Commission, would cause him to be disqualified for appointment as such.

(8) A member of the Electoral Commission may be removed from office by the President for inability to discharge functions of his office (whether arising from infirmity of mind or body or any other cause) or for misbehaviour.

(9) A member of the Electoral Commission shall not be removed from office except in accordance with the provisions of this section.

(10) Whenever a member of the Electoral Commission dies, resigns, is removed from office, or is absent from Sierra Leone, or is by reason of illness or any other cause unable to perform the functions of his office, the President may appoint a person who is qualified to be appointed Electoral Commissioner and any person so appointed shall, subject to the provisions of subsections (6) and (7), continue to perform those functions until his appointment is revoked by the President, or until the Electoral Commissioner is able to perform those functions, or until the appointment of a new Electoral Commissioner.

(11) In the exercise of any functions vested in it by the Constitution, the Electoral Commission shall not be subject to the direction or control of any person or authority.

(12) the Chief Electoral Commissioner shall submit a report on the programme and work of the Electoral Commission at least once a year to the President and a copy of such report shall be laid before Parliament.

SECTION 33:

Subject to the provisions of the Constitution, the Electoral Commission shall be responsible for the conduct and supervision of the registration of voters for, and of, all public elections and referenda; and for that purpose shall have power to make regulations by statutory instrument for the registration of voters, the conduct of Presidential, Parliamentary or Local Government elections and referenda, and other matters connected therewith, including regulations for voting by proxy.