Sierra Leone awaits outcome of presidential election

About 3.4 million Sierra Leoneans are awaiting the outcome of Saturday's keenly contested presidential and parliamentary elections. Results of Saturday’s polls are expected to be announced from today and if no candidate gets the mandatory 55 per cent of the valid votes in the first round, the two frontrunners will go into a run-off election. Samson Itodo, the Executive Director at YIAGA Africa, is on the grounds to bring us up to speed with recent developments.

Mon, 26 Jun 2023 12:43:14 GMT

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AI Generated Summary

The election, held on Saturday, witnessed a high voter turnout, although marred by issues such as late delivery of materials and voter identification discrepancies.
Both major political parties, the SLPP and the APC, have prematurely claimed victory, heightening tensions in the country.
Concerns have been raised by observers regarding the lack of transparency in the results tallying process, with the possibility of a runoff election looming large if no candidate secures the mandatory 55% of valid votes.

Sierra Leone is on edge as the country eagerly awaits the outcome of the recent presidential and parliamentary elections. The polls, which were held on Saturday, saw a significant voter turnout, although official figures have yet to be released by the Electoral Commission. The race is primarily between incumbent President Julius Maada Bio of the SLPP and Dr. Samura Kamara of the APC. The election took place in a climate of polarization and distrust, with opposition forces expressing limited faith in the Electoral Commission's ability to conduct a fair process. Despite these challenges, Sierra Leoneans turned out en masse to exercise their democratic rights, with some voters waiting in line for hours to cast their ballots. However, issues such as late delivery of election materials, logistical problems in certain regions, and voter identification inconsistencies have marred the process. On Sunday, an incident occurred at the opposition APC headquarters where state security forces fired live ammunition, escalating tensions in the country. Both major political parties have prematurely claimed victory, even before official results have been announced. Observers, including the EU and local monitoring groups, have raised concerns about the lack of transparency in the results tallying process, highlighting the need for a more open and inclusive system. The possibility of a runoff looms large as no candidate is likely to meet the 55% threshold required for a first-round victory. The Electoral Commission faces a challenging task in ensuring the credibility of the electoral process amidst heightened tensions and mistrust. The international community, including ECOWAS and the AU, play a crucial role in urging political parties to respect the electoral process and refrain from prematurely declaring victory. Security forces are called upon to uphold human rights and the rule of law, avoiding actions that could further erode public confidence in the democratic process. Despite the challenges, there is optimism that Sierra Leone has the capacity to conduct a credible and peaceful election to its conclusion.