Sierra Leone: President Bio Defeats APC's Kamara, Declared Winner of Sierra Leone Presidential Election

Ben Solomon/U.S. Department of State
Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio
27 June 2023
Premium Times (Abuja)
By Oladeinde Olawoyin

President Bio of Sierra Leone secured victory by polling over 56 per cent of the votes to avoid a run-off against main rival Samura Kamara, who polled about 41 per cent.

President Julius Bio of Sierra Leone was on Tuesday declared the winner of the presidential election in the West African country.

Mr Bio secured victory by polling over 56 per cent of the votes to avoid a run-off against main rival Samura Kamara, who polled about 41 per cent.

The president, 59, was running for re-election after a first term of five years characterised by inflation, high cost of living and poor currency.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ESCL) said Mr Bio took an early lead in the 60 per cent of the total votes tallied on Monday.

According to the electoral law, in order to win in the first round, a candidate needs more than 55 per cent of the vote.

The election was considered a two-horse race between President Bio of the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) and 72-year-old former cabinet minister Samura Kamara, who leads the opposition All People's Congress (APC) party.

Tension

The general elections have been defined by tension and widespread uncertainty, especially in opposition strongholds in the northern districts.

On Sunday, police in Sierra Leone fired tear gas at the headquarters of the APC in Freetown as voters awaited the results of the keenly contested election

Mr Kamara said on Twitter that live bullets were fired at his office inside the party headquarters.

But the police in a statement said members of the APC had paraded through Freetown, "announcing to the public that they had won the election."

The Office of National Security had earlier warned party members against declaring the result of the elections, which it said, lies with the electoral umpire.

On Tuesday, the European Union Election Observation Mission(EOM) in Sierra Leone in its preliminary observation report stated that "Voters' commitment to a democratic process (was) challenged by violence and lack of transparency at critical stages of elections."

EU EOM preliminary observations concludes: "Voters' commitment to a democratic process challenged by violence and lack of transparency at critical stages of elections". Full text here: https://t.co/UZ0C9GCoau pic.twitter.com/UHSqZy3fTC-- EU EOM Sierra Leone 2023 (@eueomsl2023) June 27, 2023

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