Calm in Sierra Leone despite contested election outcome

The streets of Sierra Leone's capital were quiet on Wednesday, a day after President Julius Maada Bio was sworn in for a second term following an election his main rival slammed as "not credible."

Western nations, in a joint statement, said they were concerned about "transparency" in the vote tallying, but urged any disputes to be settled through rule of law and peaceful dialogue.

Central Freetown was calm as people went about their business at the start of the Muslim festival of Eid, a public holiday.  

Some women were selling food at market and commercial drivers of motorcycles and tuk-tuks were out in rain-soaked streets scouting for customers.

Many people said they were relieved at the peaceful atmosphere after electoral tensions and fear of violence in a country with a long history of turbulence.

"I'm happy, not even because of the result, but I'm happy with the way everything came and went, because our expectations were really high that it was going to be like a catastrophe", said Amanda, 40, a hotel employee who did not want to give her last name.

"Everyone is cool, everyone is doing well, everyone is happy. Everyone is going on with its normal business," said Abu Kailesie, a 24-year-old student and Bio supporter. "We are OK."

But Alpha Kaloko, a 20-year-old bike rider, said, "I’m not happy about these results, because I think this election is not right. It’s not fair... We need changes."

Bio, 59, who leads the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP), was sworn in on Tuesday immediately after the Electoral Commission announced he had narrowly won outright victory in the first round of voting, with 56.17 percent of the ballot.

Presidential candidates need 55 percent of the vote in the first round to avoid a run-off.

Since the end of Sierra Leone's 1991-2002 civil war, no incumbent has failed to secure a victory in the first round.

Sierra Leone has a two-term presidential limit.

- Tense rematch -

The vote on Saturday was a rematch of a 2018 race that saw Bio, a former coup leader who campaigned on progressive policies, edge out Samura Kamara of the All People's Congress (APC).

But he took the helm just before the West African state was pummelled by the Covid-19 pandemic, followed by crippling levels of inflation. 

EU observers denounced violence by security forces at the APC headquarters in Freetown on Sunday night, in what the police said was an effort to disperse opposition supporters, which left one woman dead.

Kamara, an ex-minister and economist, does not appear to have conceded defeat.

"I categorically reject the outcome so announced by the electoral commission," the candidate -- who won 41.16 percent of the vote, according to the Electoral Commission -- said on Twitter on Tuesday evening.

He has not given a speech since the results were announced. But shortly before the announcement of results, he denounced a "total lack of transparency and accountability" by the election overseer.

In a joint statement, the delegations of the United States, European Union, France, Ireland and Germany said they "share the concerns" of national and international observers "about the lack of transparency in the tabulation process."

"Despite these difficulties, we remain committed to supporting democracy and the aspirations of the Sierra Leonean people. We urge everyone to exercise restraint, respect the rule of law, and engage in peaceful dialogue to resolve disputes."

The presidential vote coincided with parliamentary and local elections.

National Election Watch, a coalition of civil society organisations, pointed to alleged irregularities in the electoral commission's data.

It said that, based on its own calculations, turnout was between 75.4 and 79 percent, not 83 percent as the electoral commission announced. 

It also said that Bio should have received between 47.7 and 53.1 percent of the vote, and Kamara 43.8-49.2 percent.

Cameron Hume, a former US ambassador who headed an observation mission by the Carter Center, told AFP on Wednesday that there had been some flaws in the process.

"The voting seemed to take place in a credible manner," Hume said.

"But when it came to the delivery of ballots and the opening of ballot boxes at tabulation centres, there were numerous incidents where we saw a break in the chain of credibility."

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