Sierra Leone’s Two Leading Candidates Claiming Victory In Saturday’s Polls

By Ishmael Sallieu Koroma

The two leading candidates of the just concluded elections in Sierra Leone Samura Kamara of the All People’s Congress (APC) and Julius Maada Bio of the ruling Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) have in a statement claimed victory over Saturday’s polls in the small West African nation.

‘’ Based on our internal tallying processes of results, the SLPP is confident of a landslide victory for his excellency The President Rtd. Brigadier General Julius Maada Bio. Results tabulated in our party tally centres indicate that there will no run off. The People have spoken overwhelmingly and have done so by entrusting President Bio with the nation’s fate for a further five years,’’ a statement from the ruling Sierra Leone’s People Party said.

The party added that while they await the official results announcement by the country’s electoral body, they said they take great in sharing their preliminary assessment so far of the elections.

‘’ The SLPP will also like to express its gratitude to all political parties for participating in the electioneering process in line with the prescribed procedures governing the conduct pf the elections. We wish to thank all citizens especially our supporters who came out to exercise their fundamental rights to vote,’’ the party added, whilst commending the country’s electoral body for conducting a free, fair and transparent elections that reflect the collective aspirations of all citizens.

The ruling party however said despite the relatively peaceful conduct of the elections, they wished to draw the attention of the public to the unprovoked attacks of its polling agents across the country by top ranking members of the opposition APC adding those attacks sought to undermine the peaceful conduct of the elections.

Speaking at a news conference on Sunday the ruling party’s National Chairman   Prince Harding claimed that they have all the reason to rejoice adding they have won Saturday’s polls with no run off.

‘’we have won the elections with no run off. We are waiting on the ECSL to announce the results,’’ Harding said

Meanwhile, the opposition party candidate Samura Kamara in a statement on Sunday said their party is on an irreversible path to an overwhelming victory in Saturday’s polls adding that they will not accept any skewed, manipulated and unverified results from the country’s electoral body.

‘’ In the meantime, I want to assure all our supporters and the citizens of Sierra Leone that the APC is on an irreversible path to an overwhelming victory. Be rest assured that I and the APC party would not and shall not accept any skewed, manipulated and unverified results. The APC seeks a smooth transition and urge the ECSL and all other stakeholders in the electoral process, including the security forces, to facilitate this. I thank you. God Bless the Republic of Sierra Leone,’’Samura Kamara added.

Kamara further added  that the people of  the country  have spoken loudly,  stating the message is very clear in the results coming in thus they as party  therefore  urged the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) to respect the due process, adhere to international best practice as well as to what they  agreed at Bintumani on the transparent, inclusive and accountable counting and tallying of result.

‘’We have noted that at the Northwest Regional Tally Centre in Port Loko, the Northern Regional Tally Center in Makeni, and at the Western Regional Tally Centre at Wellington, our representatives have not been allowed into the main halls and therefore unable to monitor the tallying process. With our representatives being subjected to observe the tallying behind a glass barrier and without the results being projected,’’ the main opposition candidate stressed.

Kamara added that his party will not accept any results which have not been satisfactorily vetted by their party representatives thus urging the electoral commission to ensure that all tallied results are projected and our representatives are allowed to fully participate in the tally process.

In a joint statement on Sunday, the African Union Observer mission and the ECOWAS election observers mission heads respectively express concern at the announcement of unofficial results by some political actors and individuals thus urging all stakeholders to refrain from such action that the electoral commission is the only body authorized by the constitution and the laws of the country to announce results.

‘’call on the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL) to stand firm and fulfil its duties, without succumbing to pressure, to uphold the credibility of the institution and be accountable to the people of Sierra Leone,’’ the Joint statement urged.

However, the country’s electoral chief and national returning officer Mohamed Konneh stressed that he is the only person by law to announce results of Saturday’s polls.

Konneh said that the reconciliation and Result Form (RRF) are being received at our district offices adding that some of the RRFs earlier received have been taken to the respective regional tally centres for processing but said the rest will be transported to the regional tally centres in the next few hours.

‘’Counting of early voting ballots did not take place in Western Urban, Western Rural and Bombali districts due to violence and high-level tension. The Commission will make decision on next step,’’ Konneh told journalists during a presser on Sunday in Freetown, but said tallying had commenced in all regional tally centres since morning.

Konneh added there were incidence of violence against ECSL staff and property in Bombali district, Northern Sierra Leone.