Julius Maada Bio, the incumbent president of Sierra Leone, has been officially declared the winner of the country’s tense presidential election by the election commission. Commission chief Mohamed Kenewui Konneh announced on June 27 that Bio secured 56.17 percent of the vote, while his main opposition challenger, Samura Kamara of the All People’s Congress (APC), came in second with 41.16 percent.
Despite the declaration, the electoral process has been disputed by the APC, who criticized the alleged lack of inclusiveness, transparency, and responsibility by the electoral commission in a statement issued on June 26. The APC had raised concerns about the electoral commission prior to the vote, but the commission maintained that it had implemented mechanisms to ensure a fair election.
The election saw over 2.8 million votes cast and witnessed several violent incidents during the campaign period. However, Sierra Leone has a history of largely peaceful, free, and credible elections since the end of the country’s devastating 11-year civil war in 2002, which claimed the lives of 50,000 people and resulted in numerous amputations.
Julius Maada Bio, leader of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), was sworn in as president at Freetown’s State House shortly after the election results were announced. The election marks the fifth since the civil war and reaffirms the country’s commitment to democratic processes.