The incumbent president of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio has been declared winner of Saturday’s presidential election but the opposition has disputed the count by claiming a foul play.
Official figures say that Mr Bio gained 56% of the vote. His main rival, Samura Kamara, trailed far behind with 41%.
After the first tranche of results were released on Monday, Dr Kamara called the outcome “daylight robbery”.
International election observers have highlighted problems with transparency in the tallying process.
Saturday’s vote took place amid tension but President Bio had called on Sierra Leoneans to “keep the peace”.
The 59-year-old is due to be sworn in for his second five-year term soon. The rivalry between him and Dr Kamara, 72, was a repeat of the closely fought 2018 election, which went to a second round.
This time Dr Kamara, who was the candidate for the All People’s Congress (APC), has alleged that his electoral agents were not allowed to verify the ballot counting.
In the run-up to the vote, the APC had made complaints about the electoral commission. However, the commission insisted that it had mechanisms in place to ensure a fair vote.
The presidential, parliamentary and local council elections came at the end of a campaign marred by several violent incidents.
Last week, the APC alleged that one of its supporters was shot dead by police, which the police denied.
The party has said that another one of its backers was killed when security forces tried to break up the crowd outside its headquarters in Freetown on Sunday.
Members of Mr Bio’s party, the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), have said they were attacked by opponents during campaigning.
The campaign took place against a backdrop of a troubled economy, the rising cost of living and concerns about national unity.
This was Sierra Leone’s fifth election since the civil war ended in 2002.
The 11-year conflict cost an estimated 50,000 lives, but since then the country has had a tradition of largely peaceful, free and credible elections, according to Marcella Samba Sesay, chairperson of the NGO National Elections Watch.
BBC
