World News | Sierra Leone's President Wins Second Term Without Need for Runoff, Election Commission Announces
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio has won a second term in office, receiving 56.17 per cent of ballots cast and narrowly clearing the threshold for avoiding a runoff in the West African nation, electoral officials said on Tuesday.
Freetown (Sierra Leone), Jun 27 (AP) Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio has won a second term in office, receiving 56.17 per cent of ballots cast and narrowly clearing the threshold for avoiding a runoff in the West African nation, electoral officials said on Tuesday.
Main opposition candidate Samura Kamara received 41.16 per cent of the vote, according to official results from Saturday's election.
The announcement comes after supporters of both parties had claimed to have won in recent days, with Kamara saying that he was on an “irreversible path to an overwhelming victory”.
He also alleged that security forces had opened fire Sunday on a celebration at his party's headquarters, though police denied having fired live bullets.
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Bio has faced increasing criticism because of debilitating economic conditions that Kamara pledged to improve. Nearly 60 per cent of Sierra Leone's population of more than 7 million are facing poverty, with youth unemployment being one of the highest in West Africa. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)