By Alpha Abu, Chernor Alimamy Kamara & Nasratu Kargbo
President Julius Maada Bio has been re-elected for a second 5-year term, defeating his closet challenger Dr. Samura M.W. Kamara of the opposition All Peoples Congress (APC).
In his address to the nation, following the announcement of the results, President Bio made a conciliatory gesture saying “we must reunite in pursuit of common goal: enhancing peace, prosperity and progress of Sierra Leone’’.
The announcement late Tuesday afternoon by Chief Electoral Commissioner Mohamed K. Konneh confirmed President Bio’s victory in the first round of voting that took place on Saturday 24th June, sparking wild celebratory scenes in Freetown and other parts of Sierra Leone.
Bio polled 1,566,932(one million, five hundred and sixty-six thousand, nine hundred and thirty-two) votes or 56.17% of valid votes, while Dr. Kamara got 1,142,262 (one million, one hundred and forty- eight thousand, two hundred and sixty-two) votes-41.16%.
Eleven other Presidential Candidates belonging to smaller parties shared the rest of the percentage votes.
The day before, Konneh had announced provisional presidential results which placed Bio in a comfortable lead.
However, there have been mixed reactions from Sierra Leoneans after Bio was declared the winner.
Cecil Eustace Betts, a supporter of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) noted that President Bio’s victory is one of the best things to have happened to him this year. He said he believes the President’s agenda of Free Quality Education will continue so that the people of Sierra Leone will realize what he is capable of doing.
He hoped to see a new change in the country’s economic situation and for the prices of basic commodities to decrease. He told the opposition supporters that no one is a loser and should know that it is the country that wins. He urged everyone to come on board and embrace peace for the progress of the country.
Another SLPP supporter, James Kalokoh noted that President Bio has proven as someone to be trusted as he promised the party victory and he delivered it. He urged the President to ensure that he improves the job market, saying if people are engaged in their jobs, they will abstain from political discourse.
He also called on President Bio to strengthen vocational institutions for those that are not fortunate to go to universities.
Kalokoh called on the opposition to join the ruling government to work for the interest of the country. He said as the election has ended, everyone should realize that Sierra Leone is the only country they can call home and that they should all embrace peace and leave politics to the politicians.
A supporter from the opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) party, Mohamed Sulaiman Koroma stated that the majority of the party supporters including him are not happy over the outcome of the election result announced by ECSL.
He said President Bio is not new for the people of the country, saying he is not foreseeing any significant change in the President would do throughout his tenure. He stated that the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar keeps soaring which has caused high prices of goods.
Koroma went on to say that the election results have proven that the electorates’ votes are no longer important, citing press statements from the European Union, U.S Embassy, and the National Election Watch (NEW) which he said spoke about lack of transparency in the process.
He hoped the President will provide more jobs for the people of the country as he graduated two years ago without a job. He advised the winners not to make the country unstable for the losers.
Mariama S.Bampia another APC supporter said she was down after the pronouncement of the election results, which saw her pressure shoot up, and had to play music to calm down her nerves.
She referred to video footage posted on social media by the First Lady, Fatima Bio assuring the country that her husband will in the next five years work for the people of Sierra Leone. She hoped the President will work towards the development of the entire country and not just SLPP strongholds.
She also urged SLPP supporters not to disturb APC supporters, to avoid an outbreak of violence.
Politico reached out to residents around the Hastings/Kossoh Town Communities
Salifu Conteh a resident of Wellington east of Freetown said: “The people made a choice through the ballot box but unfortunately due to some reasons African politics has been played, and they didn't listen to the choice of the people”.
When asked which areas he would like the administration to work on, he stated that the government has a lot to work on, but emphasized the need for government to provide basic amenities such as electricity, water, good medical facilities, and a booming economy, stressing that this will improve the lives of citizens.
Highlighting other things that should be addressed, Kanu said the administration should ensure that the citizen’s fundamental human rights are not violated. “For the past five years we have seen authorities violate our human rights, which on some occasions has led to deaths, loss of property, imprisonment, and instability in the country,” Kanu said.
Politico also reached out to residents around the Hastings/Kossoh Town Communities- east rural Freetown.
One of them Maseray Kamara said the election was peaceful, despite reports of people being beaten, claims of ballot stuffing, and other elections-related violence.
“We hope in the next five years it will be a change for the better, I pray they do more in order to reduce the economic suffering of the people,” she said. She called on all Sierra Leoneans to remain peaceful, adding that politics should not divide people.
Another resident Martha Saccoh expressed excitement, stating that she was pleased with the results. She explained that the government has done so much and that it is only right that President Bio is given more time to continue his good work.
Saccoh explained that the hike in prices of commodities should not be blamed on the government, and claimed the past APC government caused extreme damage to the country’s economy, adding that the Ukraine-Russia war just worsened the situation.
Speaking on areas she would like the government to focus on, Saccoh explained that the government should place emphasis on monitoring the implementation of projects that they’ve undertaken across the country. She cited as an example the Kossoh Town Hastings Road project, which according to her has been two years since it started and was yet to be completed. She noted that the stipulated timeframe for the project’s completion was long overdue.
She added that the President should appoint people who can work with him in developing the country, adding that areas such as tourism, and internal affairs should be looked at, explaining that a lot of good things can be achieved if the right people are placed in the right place.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (28/06/23)
