Sierra Leone MPs in Fistfight Over Electoral System - Video

A viral video shows MPs in the West African country fighting and throwing chairs at each other. According to reports, police detained some of the opposition party members.

A brawl broke out between members of Sierra Leone's ruling SLPP and opposition APC parties over the country's new electoral system in Freetown on Wednesday.

The fistfight erupted during a session of parliament while MPs were discussing a plan to ensure proportional representation in local and general elections this 2023.

According to reports, the government supported the plan, which requires the parliament's approval.

"It was about a statutory instrument that gives a mandate to the electoral commission to make regulations, and our colleagues refused to follow procedures of parliament and they decided to misbehave," Matthew Sahr Nyuma, chairman of parliament's information committee told media. "The speaker was left with no alternative... We had to call the police to continue our business of the day."

In June 2023, the country’s incumbent President Julius Bio, who was elected in 2018, will confront the opposition leader in a contest for his second presidential term.

Last week, MPs passed legislation to implement a gender quota for all elected and appointed positions ahead of next year's elections. According to this legislation, which was the president's main campaign promise in 2018, women will make up one-third of the West African country's parliament.