Opposition leads in Sierra Leone polls

FREETOWN – The main opposition candidate was leading in Sierra Leone’s presidential race on Tuesday as the first substantial results were released.

With about 19 per cent of the vote counted, Ernest Bai Koroma received 204 774 votes, about double the 106 487 votes cast for the ruling party candidate, Vice President Solomon Berewa, according to an AP tabulation of results released by the official election commission. The poll – the first since UN peacekeepers withdrew from the West African country two years ago – has been seen by many as chance to prove that the country has finally emerged from years of war as a functioning democracy.Seven candidates are vying to succeed President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, prevented by term limits from running for a third, five-year term.Berewa, 69, was considered the front-runner going into Saturday’s poll, with Koroma, a businessman, as his biggest challenger.The victor needs at least 55 per cent of the vote to avoid a runoff.Charles Francis Margai, a lawyer and former minister who heads a party that broke away from the ruling coalition 15 months ago, was third in the partial results with 43 904 votes.He was trailed by the four remaining candidates.About 2,6 million of Sierra Leone’s 5 million people are registered to vote.The head of Sierra Leone’s election commission, Christiana Thorpe, said turnout was about 75 per cent nationwide.Tuesday’s results came from 10 of Sierra Leone’s 12 provincial districts, Thorpe said.Nampa-APThe poll – the first since UN peacekeepers withdrew from the West African country two years ago – has been seen by many as chance to prove that the country has finally emerged from years of war as a functioning democracy.Seven candidates are vying to succeed President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, prevented by term limits from running for a third, five-year term.Berewa, 69, was considered the front-runner going into Saturday’s poll, with Koroma, a businessman, as his biggest challenger.The victor needs at least 55 per cent of the vote to avoid a runoff.Charles Francis Margai, a lawyer and former minister who heads a party that broke away from the ruling coalition 15 months ago, was third in the partial results with 43 904 votes.He was trailed by the four remaining candidates.About 2,6 million of Sierra Leone’s 5 million people are registered to vote.The head of Sierra Leone’s election commission, Christiana Thorpe, said turnout was about 75 per cent nationwide.Tuesday’s results came from 10 of Sierra Leone’s 12 provincial districts, Thorpe said.Nampa-AP