In an escalation of post-election tensions, the All People’s Congress (APC), Sierra Leone’s principal opposition party, demanded a second round of the recent presidential election this past Saturday. This demand follows the swift inauguration of President Julius Maada Bio for a second term, following a contentious declaration of victory.
The APC has levelled accusations of collusion between the nation’s electoral commission and Bio’s Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), alleging manipulation of the final results. The party also called for the resignation of the electoral commission chairman, Mohamed Konneh, and his entire team.
“The rogue announcement of fraudulent election results on June 25th represents not just an overt theft of the votes of the suffering masses who sought change, but constitutes the most substantial threat to our democracy, unity and survival as a nation,” the APC stated.
Official results indicate that Bio won with 56.17% of the votes, allowing him to bypass a runoff and overcome his main challenger, Samura Kamara, who received 41.16% of votes, according to electoral officials.
Bio, who has already begun his second term, called for all Sierra Leoneans to remain peaceful and law-abiding via Twitter. “This is a collective victory for every citizen, and now that elections are over, we must unite in pursuit of a shared aim, which is the advancement of our dear country,” Bio tweeted.
However, there are mounting concerns about potential civil unrest following the disputed election results, as citizens frustrated with the current economic climate may take to the streets. Sierra Leone, where almost 60% of the population of over 7 million live in poverty, and youth unemployment is amongst the highest in West Africa, has already seen economic demonstrations in recent months.
These developments come amidst increasing pressure on the electoral commission to reveal the details of their election results tabulation process. While African Union and ECOWAS deemed the elections free and fair, some Western observers raised concerns about the lack of transparency in the counting and tabulation process. Particularly, the European Union, the UK, US, and France have all urged the electoral commission to disclose results from each polling station.
The APC maintains that it will abstain from participating in any level of governance in the country, from parliament to local councils, in the aftermath of what they call the “fraudulent” presidential election results.
Image Credit: AP Photo/TJ Bade
