Rival supporters clashed in Freetown on Saturday after early results from Sierre Leone’s presidential election indicated a runoff would be needed with no candidate set to secure the 55% required to win outright. With incumbent Ernest Bai Koroma standing down after two terms, his All Peoples Congress (APC) candidate Samura Kamara was just leading Julius Maada Bio of the main opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), based on 25% of returns from the National Electoral Commission (NEC). The NEC gave former foreign minister Kamara a near 45% share of the vote so far against 42% for former general Bio in Wednesday’s poll.
European Union observers on Friday described the election as “transparent, credible and well-organised,” but noted sporadic “intimidation and violence,” concerns echoed by the Freetown-based Campaign for Human Rights and Development International (CHRDI).
The early results triggered unrest as supporters of the two main parties clashed in the capital’s central business district, leading police to make several arrests.
… The raid followed accusations of vote “hacking” despite Sierra Leone using a manual voting system.
Full Article: Rivals clash as Sierra Leone poll runoff looms | News24.