(3 minutes read)
Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio has gained a clear lead when 60 percent of the votes were counted. Bio had got 55.86 percent of ballots cast, more than the 55 percent required for victory after Saturday’s first round of voting. The incumbent’s 1,067,666 votes put him well ahead of his main rival Samura Kamara, who had 793,751 votes or 41.53 percent.
Over 3.4 million people were registered to vote in Saturday’s election. Twelve men and one woman stood for president, but Bio’s main challenger was Kamara of the All People’s Congress (APC). Bio, of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), narrowly beat Kamara in a runoff in 2018.
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The president, 59, a former coup leader in the 1990s, has championed education and women’s rights in his first civilian term. Kamara, 72, a former foreign and finance minister, is facing a protracted trial over allegations that he misappropriated public funds as foreign minister, a case he says is politically motivated. The election was largely peaceful, and calm. Some violences was reported from isolated pockets.
