Sierra Leone successfully passed a significant test for the country’s fledgling democracy amid some violent incidents and problems in transparency and voting. Its result will influence future elections in Liberia, intertribally closely connected with Sierra Leone.
On June 24, 2023, the country elected the president and members of Parliament.
Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio had clinched a second term in office, receiving 56.17% of ballots cast and narrowly clearing the threshold to avoid a runoff. The final results were announced in the capital, Freetown, by commission head Mohamed Kenewui Konneh, who at the same time declared Bio president. This defied earlier predictions by early polling, which doubted any candidate’s potential to reach the necessary 55 per cent threshold.
Bio was running for his second term against 12 opponents.
Mr. Bio is a former military officer who took part in two coups during Sierra Leone’s civil war in the 1990s. He briefly ruled the country in 1996 as the head of a military junta, but handed power to an elected president months later.
He was running for re-election after a first term of five years characterised by inflation, high cost of living and poor currency.
His tenure saw tangible strides, particularly in education reforms, projecting a leader committed to national development. Yet, accusations of economic mismanagement and alleged corruption have dented his image, casting a long shadow on his leadership.
Voter turnout appeared to be high at around 77 percent, according to the electoral commission. Over 3.3 million voters had registered to vote in the nation of 8.4 million, most of them under age 35.
Bio’s Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) won nearly 1.6 million votes – 56.1% of the total ballots, – to defeat his closest opponent, Samura Kamara of the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) party, who won a 41.16% share of the vote.
Kamara’s All People’s Congress (APC) said that election representatives were attacked and intimidated in three districts on June 24, the election day. The opposition APC alleged that there had been “overvoting” in some areas, calling the results fabricated and reaffirming victory. Kamara’s APC party accused the country’s security forces of laying siege to its head office in the capital Freetown, and firing live rounds into the property while it held a press conference after the polls.
Just hours after the results were announced, Bio was sworn in at the State House where he gave a speech thanking citizens for their “trust and dedication.” This triggered a wave of jubilation amongst his loyalists.
The vote count was fraught with controversies and some international observers expressed concerns about the integrity of the process.
A woman was found dead at the opposition party headquarters after police surrounded the building and tried to disperse opposition supporters during a post-election news conference. Members of the opposition party said that the incident unfolded like a “horror film” and that “live rounds” and “shots” had been fired. Police did not confirm the death but said that they had fired teargas canisters “to disperse the crowd which was disturbing people on the road.”
The 2023 presidential race featured a rematch of the 2018 race between Bio of the Sierra Leone People’s Party against Kamara of the APC. Also up for grabs are 132 seats for members of parliament and local council seats.
While calm returned to Sierra Leone on Monday, June 26th, citizens fear that more unrest could occur as opposition rejects results.
These Sierra Leonean elections over the years, charged with anticipation and strife, signify much more than a democratic process of choosing the nation’s next leader. They are a litmus test for Sierra Leone’s evolving democratic institutions, currently grappling with allegations of corruption, civil unrest, and the weight of economic grievances.
Regionally, Sierra Leone’s election carries considerable weight. West Africa, home to fledgling, entrenched autocracies, and fragile states, watches closely Sierra Leone’s ability to conduct free, fair, and peaceful elections that can set a strong precedent for democratic resilience amidst adversity.
After the publication of the provisional results, Bio addressed the nation and called on people to maintain peace.
Kamara, a former foreign and finance minister, is facing trial over allegations of misappropriating public funds, a case he says is politically motivated.
The West African country is still emerging from a 1991-2002 civil war which left over 50,000 people dead. Sierra Leone’s foray into democratic governance, since gaining independence in 1961, has been a road punctuated by military coups, civil war, and a grave health crisis (Ebola epidemy).
According to the electoral law, in order to win in the first round, a candidate needs more than 55 per cent of the vote.
Amid growing economic challenges and rising popular anger, President Julius Maada Bio unilaterally changed the electoral system for the legislature from a first-past-the-post model to a system of proportional representation. While the government claims that this new system will be more fair, the last minute nature of the shift, which did not include popular consultation, has led to accusations that the system has now been changed to make it harder to detect electoral manipulation.
The election was considered a two-horse race between President Bio of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and 72-year-old Mr Kamara, who leads the opposition APC.
The general elections have been defined by tension and widespread uncertainty, especially in opposition strongholds in the northern districts.
There were fears that the nation’s 3.3 million voters would remove the President from office. However, the outcome proved otherwise. Bio’s Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) secured victory with nearly 1.6 million votes, accounting for 56.1% of the total ballots cast.
Nevertheless, the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUOEM) in Sierra Leone stated that the elections were conducted in a generally peaceful, transparent, and credible manner.
Like Sierra Leone, Liberia is also preparing for its own elections amidst growing concerns about corruption, poor governance, and various political and economic challenges plaguing President George Weah’s administration. The Weah-led government has faced sanctions against key government officials, including Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Nathaniel McGill, National Port Authority Managing Director Bill Twehway, Solicitor General Syrenius Cephus, and former political ally Prince Johnson, all on charges of corruption and pay-for-play.
These issues might be sufficient grounds to deny the Liberian President and his team a second term. However, the Sierra Leone scenario demonstrates that despite persistent challenges, voters must have confidence in the opposition’s effective determination to address pressing concerns and meet the aspirations of the people.
A similar situation unfolded recently in Nigeria, where former President Muhammadu Buhari acknowledged the hardship caused by some of his government’s policies and appealed for further patience, endorsing 71-year-old Bola Tinubu as his successor. Despite the current economic difficulties and a range of challenges facing the country, Tinubu emerged as the winner in the controversial elections.
In Liberia, the opposition claims to be more competent than the Weah-led government, which they accuse of bringing the country to its lowest point. However, a lack of unity among the opposition parties often has led to internal conflicts taking precedence over collaborative efforts to remove the ruling party from power.
The upcoming October elections are a crucial turning point for Liberia, as it navigates economic hardships and allegations of corruption under the current Weah-led government.
Political pundits suggest that when opposition parties fail to address pressing concerns and meet people’s aspirations, confidence among voters can diminish. If the opposition does not present viable alternatives or solutions, voters may become disillusioned and skeptical about their ability to bring about positive change, ultimately choosing to stick with the ‘devil they know.’
The failure of the opposition in Liberia to inspire confidence and demonstrate determination could potentially result in decreased voter turnout. Many voters may feel apathetic or disengaged from the political process if they perceive that their concerns and aspirations are not being adequately addressed by any of the available options. This could be an advantage for the ruling party.
The Liberian opposition has not consistently held the government accountable or meaningfully challenged its policies and agenda, particularly in the Legislature. As a result, policy discussions often lack critical analysis and alternative perspectives, providing an advantage to the ruling party. This lack of scrutiny and accountability has led to complacency, corruption, or policies that do not align with the broader public interest.
However, unlike Sierra Leone and Nigeria, Liberia does not have top governing party officials under U.S. sanctions.Sierra Leone is suffering from acute food insecurity, one of the most severe in West Africa, highlighting the uphill task that awaits Bio’s administration.
