Election workers count ballots at a polling station after polls closed on the day of the national election, in Freetown, Sierra Leone, June 24, 2023. REUTERS/Cooper Inveen/File photo

FREETOWN, June 26 (Reuters) – Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio is leading the presidential election count, the West African country’s electoral commission said on Monday after 60% of votes have been counted.

Bio, 59, is running for a second term against 12 opponents. His biggest rival is All People’s Congress’ (APC) candidate Samura Kamara, who narrowly lost to Bio in the last election in 2018.

A provisional results sheet showed Bio had received over 1 million votes so far, compared with just under 800,000 for Kamara. Final verified results will be announced within the next 48 hours, the commission said on Monday afternoon.

The election has been tense. The APC said their election representatives were attacked and intimidated in three districts on election day. The election commission on Sunday outlined several instances where officials were beaten or intimidated.

A woman was found severely wounded and without a pulse at Sierra Leone’s opposition party headquarters on Sunday after police surrounded the building during a post-election news conference, a Reuters reporter at the scene said.

Sierra Leoneans fear more unrest could occur as results are announced, particularly if none of the 13 candidates secures 55% of the votes cast, a situation that would trigger a runoff between the top two.

The country is still emerging from a 1991-2002 civil war in which more than 50,000 were killed and hundreds maimed.

International observers have voiced concern about lack of transparency in the tallying of ballots.

Augustine Sorie-Sengbe Marrah, an election observer and lawyer said it was up to the electoral commission to address any allegations of unfairness through transparency.

“Because if you say, opposition parties allege that there hasn’t been a level playing field by the ECSL (Electoral Commission Sierra Leone), I think it behooves them to ensure that they’re transparent and accountable to all parties every step of the way,” Marrah told Reuters.

Bio addressed the nation after the publication of provisional results on Monday evening and called on citizens to keep the peace.

“We each have a stake in maintaining peace during and after the announcement of results of these elections,” he said in a televised speech.

Freetown (AFP) – Vote tallying was underway in Sierra Leone on Sunday, the electoral commission said, as the opposition claimed a lack of transparency following fiercely fought general elections a day earlier.

Vote tallying was underway in Sierra Leone on Sunday, the electoral commission said, as the opposition claimed a lack of transparency following fiercely fought general elections a day earlier.

Tallying, which consists of adding up counted ballots from each polling unit at the regional level, was taking place in the capital Freetown as well as in Bo, Kenema, Makeni and Port Loko, the commission said.

On Saturday, Sierra Leoneans voted in presidential, parliamentary and local elections, with many polling stations opening late in the capital.

Many also closed late, with voting officially ending at 11:30 pm (2330 GMT) Saturday, according to the chief electoral commissioner, Mohamed Konneh. Full results were expected within 48 hours of the close.

Konneh said at a press conference Sunday that it had been “one of the best election days” in recent history, “if not the best”.

But the presidential candidate of the opposition All People’s Congress (APC), Samura Kamara, alleged in a statement that the electoral commission was making it “impossible for us and other political parties to compare, reconcile and verify” tallying.

The party has for weeks accused the electoral commission of bias in favour of the governing party, raising speculation that it is laying the groundwork for a court challenge of the results — a tactic both parties have used in the past.

The chief commissioner said the party’s demands were “practically impossible” given the scale of the tallying.

On Saturday, the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding, an observation group, said voting had been “relatively peaceful” — as did the electoral commission in a late afternoon statement.

On Sunday, however, Konneh outlined a number of districts where he said polling staff had been attacked.

Also on Sunday, the chairman of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), Prince Alex Harding, outlined a handful of alleged cases of intimidation or violence against its agents, “despite the relatively peaceful conduct of the elections”.

Meanwhile, senior members of the opposition party told AFP that violence had taken place near several polling centres in Freetown on Saturday evening.

The head of the Office of National Security, Abdulai Caulker, said at a press conference that he was not aware of the alleged incidents.

The APC has also alleged that its supporters were attacked while campaigning in rural parts of the country.

– Key players –

Twelve men and one woman were running for president, but incumbent Bio’s main challenger is Kamara of the APC. Bio narrowly beat Kamara in a runoff in 2018.

Both main parties said they were confident of victory in statements on Sunday.

Rising food prices are a key issue for many in the import-dependent West African nation of eight million people.

Year-on-year inflation hit 43 percent in April, according to the latest official figures.

Some 3.4 million people were registered to vote, 52.4 percent of whom are under 35 years old, according to the electoral commission.

Presidential candidates must secure 55 percent of valid votes for a first-round win.

Turnout has ranged from 76 to 87 percent over the past three elections.

Voters will also elect members of parliament and local councils under proportional representation, after a last-minute switch from a first-past-the-post system.

Under a recently passed gender act, one-third of all candidates must be women.

A new 11.9 percent vote threshold will make it difficult for independents and minority parties to secure seats in parliament.

Many Sierra Leoneans vote based on regional allegiances, with jobs and benefits commonly perceived to flow to regions whose politicians are in power.

A June 14 poll by the Institute for Governance Reform, a partner of the pan-African survey group Afrobarometer, forecast that Bio would win 56 percent of the vote, with 43 percent for Kamara.

Another poll, conducted by the newspaper Sierra Eye and two local data groups, forecast 38 percent for the incumbent and 25 percent for his main challenger.

The elections are being closely followed in West Africa, a region recently dominated by coups and turmoil.

Di Chief Electoral Commissioner of di Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL), Mohamed Konneh don announce di partial result for di kontri presidential election wey hold on Saturday.

Di announcement of di election results dey expected to be significant milestone for di kontri, as e dey seek to maintain dia democratic stability and progress following years of political instability and civil war.

Di voting start on Saturday, 24 June for polling stations across di kontri.

Plenty pipo bin turn out for di Saturday general election, voters tell BBC say di process dey smooth even though ballots open for late hours for many areas.

For some polling stations wia polls no open on time, voting continue until past 5:00pm to ensure say everybody wey dey queue vote. For some polling stations like St. Anns School, voting continue until 11:30pm and officials count di votes for di presence of party agents and observers.

For Western Rural, one detta police officer wey dem station for centre code 15012 R.E.C Primary School, Waterloo bin stop di counting of early voting.

Counting of votes don start for all regional tally centres since Monday morning.

Counting of early voting ballots no take place for Western Urban, Western Rural and Bombali districts sake of violence plus high level tension.

Records of violence dey for dis year election compared to five years ago, according to di West Africa Network for Peace-building Sierra Leone. Dem don count 109 violent incidents since April.

Di leader of di All People’s Congress, Samura Kamara, tok say dem fire live ammunition inside di party headquarters buildings.

E tok dis one during one news conference.

Oga Kamara say dat na assassination attempt.

However, sojas don surround di headquarters of di main opposition.

Last week, di APC bin claim say security forces kill one of dia supporters as dem gada for one protest for dia headquarters for Freetown on Wednesday.

Di police bin allege say di shots wey dey fired bin dey come from di direction of di APC building.

Dr Kamara also tok say im convoy bin come under attack and reports dey say dem set on fire APC office for di city of Bo last weekend.

Di SLPP bin tok say dem too face attacks for di opposition strongholds.

No be only political parties dey hear am for dis election, di electoral officers also dey chop beatings.

Di electoral commission tok say some of dia staff dem deploy for di election chop beatings and some of dia property dey damaged.

For inside statement, di commission say dem beat one presiding omcer for RC Primary School, dem beat two Election Coordinators, N’fah As. Bangura and Alex Sorie plus destroy di motor dem rent for di voting exercise.

Again for Port Loko, dem beat one female Election Coordinator, Mashiatu Conteh and she sustain injuries, for Tonkolili district, for Bendugu, for Sambuia Bendugu chiefdom, youths bin pour petrol for di body of one Election Coordinator, Ibrahim Conteh and wan set am on fire, na some community elders rescue am and among odas.

Supporters of both main parties don chop accuse say na dem dey attack opponents.

President Bio bin don call for “peaceful elections” and “no violence”.

Di African Union don also express concerns over reported incidents of violence and intimidation for parts of di kontri.

Irregularities for di election

WIA DIS FOTO COME FROM,AFP

Accusations of irregularities don follow di Saturday election, dis na afta oga Kamara allege ballot stuffing and voter suppression for some parts of di kontri.

However, di electoral body bin insist for one press conference earlier dis week, say dem get mechanisms in place to ensure fair vote.

Local media bin report say dem arrest some pipo.

Di election dey take place against di background of a troubled economy, di rising cost of living, and concerns about national unity.

Di voters dey choose a president, MPs and councillors for di West African kontri fifth election since di civil war end for 2002.

Credit: bbcpigin

Counting of votes is ongoing across polling stations in Sierra Leone where elections were held Saturday across the different districts in the West African country.

The election is considered a straight contest between the president and candidate of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), Julius Bio, and Samura Kamara, the flagbearer of the All Peoples Congress (APC).

Other presidential candidates in the elections are Bah Mohamed Chernoh of the National Democratic Alliance; Coker Prince, People’s Democratic Party; Jonjo Mohamed, Citizens Democratic Party; Kabuta Henry, United National Peoples Party; and Kakay Iye, Alliance Democratic Party.

Also on the ballot are Kamara Musa, Peace and Liberation Party; Margai Francis, People’s Movement For Democratic Change; Saccoh Dougakoro, Revolutionary United Front Party; Sandy Patrick, National Unity and Reconciliation Party; Sowa-Turay Mohamed, United Democratic Movement; and Williams Victor, Republic National Independent Party.

In addition to the presidential ballot, Sierra Leonean voters will also elect members of parliament and local councillors in what will be the fifth election since the end of the country’s civil war, 21 years ago.

Peaceful Conduct

Despite the pre-election tension and violent rhetoric, the election has largely been peaceful across different parts of the country.

In Freetown, the nation’s capital city, PREMIUM TIMES observed that voters trooped out peacefully to cast their votes for their favourite candidates. In few places where voting was delayed such as the SOS Children Village in Lumley, electoral officials eventually arrived to salvage the situation before noon.

In many parts of the Western District of Sierra Leone, voting has ended as of press time Saturday night while counting of votes was ongoing. At Salam Secondary School, Kossoh Town Western Rural, polling center 15124, three people were disenfranchised.

According to ECSL workers at the center, the Identity cards (ID) presented by the voters were not valid as the information on their voter’s register didn’t match the ID Cards of the three voters.

At Constituency 105, Polling Center 15003, Ward 372, three people were caught trying to engage in double voting. The ECSL voter’s register at the center showed that the three men had voted, or other people might have voted on their behalf earlier, and they were handed over to the security forces for further investigation.

At Waterloo, Western Rural District, polling center 15005, Ward 373, Constituency 105, there were reported cases of suspected ballot stuffing, which resulted in violence. But PREMIUM TIMES understands that the security forces promptly contained the situation. Voting was also delayed at Constituency 127, New England Ville, due to the late arrival of polling materials.

Although the election has been relatively peaceful, with high voter turnout, late arrival of voting materials remains a concern, says John Kamara, a resident of Waterloo.

Announcement of Results

Results of the election are expected to trickle in at the end of the manual counting of votes, says Jalloh Mohamed, an election observer in Freetown.

If no presidential candidate secures 55 per cent of valid votes cast in the first ballot, the top two candidates will slug it out in a run-off two weeks after the announcement of the first-round result, according to the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL).

Ahead of the polls, security agencies had advised radio stations to desist from announcing the results of the elections until the electoral umpire makes official announcement.

While voting in the elections is scheduled to end by 5:00pm, the ECSL on Saturday said that voters in queues must be allowed to vote. The electoral umpire, in a press statement posted on its Twitter handle, also acknowledged the late arrival of polling materials in some parts of the Western District due to “logistic” reasons.

Manual counting of votes was ongoing in many of the polling stations across the country as of press time Saturday night.

Credit to: premiumtimeng.com

ECSL Press Release on Attack on Polling Staff by Some Members of the Public in Certain Areas