Following the 2007 presidential and parliamentary elections, standards were high for the local council elections held July 5, 2008 in Sierra Leone.

The United States of America congratulates the people of Sierra Leone on meeting those standards. The combined efforts of government officials, party officials, candidates, and voters were key to that success. The democratic process in Sierra Leone remains an example to nations around Africa and the world.

US Embassy observers were pleased to see that the elections were conducted in a free and fair manner -- the polls were calm and citizens were free to exercise their right to vote. We applaud the work of the National Electoral Commission and of the Sierra Leone Police for maintaining the integrity of the elections and for keeping the polling centers safe. We were encouraged to see significant levels of participation by women as candidates and voters.

Though successful elections are now in the past, the work of maintaining democracy must continue. Elections are only one part of the democratic process, and we look forward to working with the newly elected local officials as well as the national officials already in office to ensure that democracy in Sierra Leone remains strong.