L-R: President Bio and Kamara
By Ayo Kehinde
Julius Maada Bio Sierra Leone Peoples Party, SLPP has been re-elected with 1 ,566,932 or 56 per cent of the total votes cast in the Saturday June 24, 2023 general election, defeating his closest rival of the African People’s Congress, APC, Samura Kamara, who polled 1,148,262 or 41.16 per cent of the votes declared by the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone, ECSL.
The ECOWAS Elections Observation Mission in its first preliminary declaration, adjudged the poll as “ largely peaceful with voters freely allowed to cast their votes.
To douse tensions, the ECOWAS mission engaged key political gladiators, particularly incumbent Bio and arch rival, Kamara, both of whom constitute 98 per cent of the total votes.
The (ECOWAS) Mission commended the sense of patriotism exhibited by polling staff, the security forces, the general populace, who collectively played their parts in ensuring a peaceful conduct of the 2023 general elections,” Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Head of Mission said in the Preliminary Declaration in Freetown on Monday, 26th June.
“The Mission, however, expresses regret that major political parties pre-empted the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) by rushing to announce their “victory” in the polls before the official announcement by the ECSL,” the statement said.
The Mission, therefore, appealed “to all stakeholders, particularly the political parties, candidates and their supporters, the security forces and the general citizenry to remain calm and patiently await the announcement of the results by the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone.”
It enjoined “candidates and political parties to refrain from making any statements that may lead to a breach of the peace,” reiterating that the ECSL remained the sole institution vested by the constitution with the authority to announce the results of the General Election.
The Mission praised “the patience and sense of patriotism so far exhibited by the vast majority of the electorate” and urged “same display of high sense of maturity, whilst awaiting the official announcement of the results by the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone,” the statement added.
