Polls did not lie in Sierra Leone: incumbent President Julius Maada Bio was re-elected in the first round for a second term at the head of the country with 56.17% of the vote, said Tuesday the head of the electoral commission.

"By virtue of the powers granted to me, I hereby certify that Julius Maada Bio is elected president in the election of 24 June 2023," Mohamed Kenewui Konneh told a press conference in Freetown.

Julius Maada Bio's main opponent, Samura Kamara, came second with 41.16% of the vote, according to the final results of the election authority.

" READ ALSO Samura Kamara, the seasoned technocrat who dreamed of taking revenge

Immediately, supporters of the president, dressed in green, the color of the People's Party of Sierra Leone (SLPP), celebrated their champion by honking their horns and banging on pots and pans in downtown Freetown. Others blew into vuvuzelas and sang "Maada Bio, Maada Bio".

"I'm glad Bio won, we want it to stabilize the economy and create jobs," said Susan Myers, 34, an SLPP activist.

Lack of transparency

The day before, partial results gave the incumbent president more than 55% of the vote, synonymous with victory in the first round. They were rejected by the opposition, which criticised the lack of inclusiveness, transparency and accountability of the electoral commission.

On Tuesday, before the proclamation of the final results, Samura Kamara reaffirmed in a statement "the total rejection by the APC" of the partial results, "manipulated and unverified", according to them.

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Voting on Saturday was generally peaceful, although observers reported violent incidents during voting and during closing and counting.

European Union observers considered that the lack of transparency and communication of the electoral authority had led to mistrust in the electoral process.

On Sunday night, a woman was killed at opposition headquarters as security forces sought to disperse the assembled crowd.

Massive investment in education

Some 3.4 million people were called on Saturday to choose between 13 candidates, a vote that looked like a revenge in 2018 between Julius Maada Bio, a 59-year-old retired military officer who was seeking a second term, and Samura Kamura, a 72-year-old technocrat.

In 2018, Julius Maada Bio, candidate of the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP), won in the second round with 51.8% of the vote.

During his first term, Julius Maada Bio championed education and women's rights. He said he wanted to focus on agriculture and reduce his country's dependence on food imports.

In an address to the nation after the first partial results, the outgoing president called on Sierra Leoneans to remain calm and abide by the law.

Samura Kamara, Minister of Finance and then Foreign Affairs before the advent of Julius Maada Bio in 2018, had indicated that she wanted to restore confidence in national economic institutions and attract foreign investors.

With AFP

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