Sierra Leoneans await final verdict following tight election

Vote tallying continues in Sierra Leone as voters await the final results from an electoral process that was tight.

Camps of the two leading candidates President Julius Maada Bio and Samura Kamara, have already said that they won the poll.

Election observers have urged them to remain calm and wait for the official results.

The European Union mission urged the electoral commission to provide “full transparency during the tabulation of results” to ease tensions.

Campaigning for the vote was marred by violence but voting day was relatively calm and smooth despite pockets of delays.

The opposition has already complained of irregularities claiming of ballot stuffing and voter suppression in parts of the country.

Opposition cries foul

Soldiers reportedly surrounded the headquarters of the main opposition party with its leader Samura Kamara claiming live ammunition was fired into the building as he held a news conference.

He said it amounted to an assassination attempt.

Before the votes, opposition supporters protested against the electoral commission and its chairman Mohamed Konneh who they accused of unfair conduct.

Key among the demands of the opposition was for the electoral commissioner and his team to resign before the polls.

Key positions up for grasp

Saturday’s electoral process was to enable over 3.4 million eligible voters to elect a new president, parliamentarians and local representatives.

This was the fifth time citizens were voting after a 10-year civil war that left thousands dead.

The state of the economy had dominated campaigns with the government promising to fix it but the opposition accused it of failing to address key issues.

Incumbent President Julius Maada Bio, 59, who won the 2018 election beating the opposition leader Samura Kamara, 72, in a run-off is seeking re-election.

Twelve men and one woman are vying for the presidency but President Bio from the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and Samura Kamara of the All People’s Congress (APC) are the main front-runners.

The winner must obtain 55% of the vote in the first round or it goes into a runoff within two weeks.