Sierra Leone: Incumbent President Julius Maada Bio re-elected for a second term

2023-06-27T19:04:36.632Z

Highlights: Julius Maada Bio won with his party, the SLPP, 56.17% of the vote, against 41.16% for his APC rival Samura Kamara, who came second. The outgoing president had to exceed the 55% mark to avoid a second round. He therefore ran for a second term in his first term. As soon as the results were announced, scenes of jubilation erupted throughout Freetown. The opposition denounced a lack of inclusiveness and transparency of the electoral commission.

Incumbent President Julius Maada Bio won for a second term, according to provisional results from the Electoral Commission. With a large lead.

Sierra Leone: Incumbent President Julius Maada Bio re-elected for a second term

Incumbent President Julius Maada Bio won for a second term, according to provisional results from the Electoral Commission. With a large lead.

Supporters of President Julius Maada Bio celebrate his re-election in the streets of Freetown, June 27, 2023. AFP - JOHN WESSELS

Text by: RFI Follow

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With our special envoy in Freetown, Marine Jeannin

According to the Electoral Commission, Julius Maada Bio won with his party, the SLPP, 56.17% of the vote, against 41.16% for his APC rival Samura Kamara, who came second. The outgoing president had to exceed the 55% mark to avoid a second round. That has now been done. He therefore ran for a second term in his first term.

As soon as the results were announced, scenes of jubilation erupted throughout the city. We see thousands of supporters wearing green, the color of the presidential party, running through the streets singing, honking, shouting slogans. The heart of the party is for now the State House. This is where Julius Maada Bio has just been sworn in, in the wake of the results.

" READ ALSO General elections in Sierra Leone: a day of voting in "a relative peace"

Sierra Leoneans had been waiting for the results of the election for three days, in a very tense atmosphere for the whole country. On Monday, partial results giving the outgoing president re-elected with more than 55% of the vote were rejected by the opposition who denounced a lack of inclusiveness and transparency of the electoral commission.

Samura Kamara tweeted on Tuesday night. He denounced "a frontal attack on our young democracy". "These results are NOT credible and I categorically reject the results announced by the electoral commission.

My compatriots. We have heard the unfortunate announcement of the elections results for the June 24 Presidential elections by the Chief Electoral Commissioner Mr Konneh. It is a sad day for our beloved country. It is a frontal attack on our fledgling democracy. These results are...

— SamuraKamara2023 (@samurakamara201) June 27, 2023

The APC now has the option of appealing to the Supreme Court, which will make the final decision on whether or not to validate the results.

Sierra Leone: Incumbent President Julius Maada Bio re-elected for a second term

Sierra Leone: Incumbent President Julius Maada Bio re-elected for a second term

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