Partial results announced by the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL) show the ruling Sierra Leone Peoples Party’s (SLPP) candidate and incumbent president, Julius Maada Bio, leading with 1,067, 666 votes while the candidate of the All Peoples Congress (APC), Kamara Samura is trailing with 793,751 votes.
The result was announced by the Chief Electoral Commissioner of the ECSL, Mohamed Konneh, on Monday, June 26, following the conclusion of voting on Saturday, June 24.
According to reports, there were some incidences of unrest in some parts of the north of the country after the partial announcement of results, with the opposition rejecting the results and some observers claiming the process was marred by protests.
There were also jubilations among supporters of the incumbent president who claim that the early lead by the president indicates the widespread support he enjoys across the country.
President Bio’s supporters say his likely victory would have been made possible by the strides he has made in reducing the country’s infrastructural and social deficits and many other significant reforms in his first five-year rule. They say these achievements include the abolition of the death penalty, introduction of the free quality education programme, signing into law the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act, and his efforts in tackling electricity outages in Freetown and several other key towns across the country.
What may have also influenced the voting pattern, experts say, is the fact that President Bio was able to preside over a stable economy in the middle of a global financial crisis and pandemic.
The opposition, on the other hand, believes that Bio’s achievements have been minimal at best, with unemployment in the country being one of the highest in West Africa. They say recent anti-government protests that rocked the country expose the discontent felt by many over the high cost of living, which the government has not addressed. There are also claims that Bio’s government has shown itself to be heavy-handed in its approach to criticisms and protests by the public.
As the electorate awaits the announcement of the remaining 40% of votes by the electoral umpire in the next 48 hours, several parts of the country remain tense as further protests by the losers and jubilations by the eventual winners may incite confrontations.
