DEMOCRACY wins in Sierra Leone

Sep.18.- It was clear early on that this was unlike many elections in Africa.

Voters in Sierra Leone

Before even a single ballot in the presidential poll had been cast, the governing party was complaining of rigging.

On election day itself the ruling Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) accused the police of bias.

A party in power being cheated? It was an unusual claim.

The familiar scenario in so many elections across Africa is of a very uneven playing field, with the pitch sloping in favour of the governing party.

But in Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma of the opposition All People's Congress (APC) has won with 53% of the total votes compared to 44% for the outgoing Vice President, Solomon Berewa.
... The head of the [National Electoral] commission said a very important message had emerged from the elections.

"There is no longer a place for fraud and malpractice in the Sierra Leone electoral system," said Ms Thorpe.

"The people of Sierra Leone deserve to exercise their rights in an atmosphere of freedom, fairness and transparency."

Rewind the clock a few years and the situation was very different.

"This has been one of the best-run elections I have witnessed," says Eldred Jones, the respected ex-principal of Fourah Bay College, Sierra Leone's main university. ...

[ full text ]