Africa (Commonwealth Union) _ Sierra Leone began counting votes on Saturday following a generally peaceful general election, despite some polling stations experiencing a delayed start and the opposition raising concerns about alleged irregularities.
Incumbent President Julius Maada Bio is seeking a second term in the midst of a severe cost-of-living crisis that led to deadly riots last year.
Thirteen candidates, including twelve men and one woman, are competing for the presidency, with Bio’s primary challenger being Samura Kamara of the All-People’s Congress (APC).
In the previous runoff election held in 2018, Bio, aged 59, of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), narrowly defeated Kamara, aged 72.
While polling stations were supposed to open at 7:00 am and close at 5:00 pm (1700 GMT), many stations in the capital city of Freetown experienced delays in opening, according to reports from AFP journalists.
By 5:40 pm (1740 GMT), tallying had already begun at the Aberdeen Police Station in Freetown, as observed by AFP journalists.
Due to the logistical challenges faced, it was expected that several stations would remain open beyond the scheduled closing time, as confirmed by the electoral commission. They stated that voters in line at 5:00 pm would be allowed to cast their votes.
The commission commended the relatively peaceful nature of the voting process in a statement, while also acknowledging the logistical challenges faced by some polling centres.
President Bio, after casting his vote at the Wilberforce Barracks in Freetown on Saturday morning, encouraged citizens to participate peacefully and emphasized the importance of exercising their right to vote.
Kamara voted in the Lumley neighbourhood of Freetown and highlighted that the election was crucial for Sierra Leone’s future. However, he expressed concerns about congestion at the polling station, which was more than two hours late in opening.
Kamara has been criticizing the electoral commission for alleged bias in favor of the ruling party for several weeks.
A coalition of civil society groups called National Election Watch reported that 84% of the observed polling stations had opened by 8:00 am. However, in the Freetown area, only 59% of stations had opened by that time.
AFP journalists witnessed a polling station in central Freetown where voting started in the afternoon, with a soldier present confirming that voting had commenced at 2:00 pm.
US Ambassador David Reimer praised the determination of voters, many of whom endured long waits in the hot sun to exercise their right to vote, and expressed his admiration for their resilience and fortitude on Twitter.
