Voting has ended in Sierra Leone, Saturday August 11, in what can be regarded as the most fiercely fought election in the history of the country.
So far we have not received definitive reports of the results but it seems that each of the three leading parties: SLPP, APC, and PMDC has high hopes of clinching victory. The counting is still going on and the three parties seem to do well on a constituency by constituency basis. It is however unlikely, according to our sources, that any of the three would get the 55% of the votes necessary to clinch a first round victory. A run off is consequently on the cards, according to these sources. "Only massive vote rigging, in the circumstances, can eliminate a run off," one of the sources affirmed.
Meanwhile Victor Angelo(photo), the head of the UN in Sierra Leone, has thanked Sierra Leoneans for a peaceful election. He however also appealed to people to keep away from the streets and return home, probably fearing clashes between supporters of contending political parties. This appeal is unlikely to be heeded as Sierra Leoneans love to be out in the streets, sometimes late in the night, at a time like this. The UN has spent a huge amount of money on security, democratic structures and general infrastructure in Sierra Leone during and after the war. Most of the funds used for this year’s election came from donor sources with the UN at the forefront.
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