Sierra Leone

Freetown, Sierra Leone - As Sierra Leoneans prepare to elect their president at the run-off polls tomorrow, the United Nations is encouraging all voters to turn out and cast their ballots peacefully.  

“On 11 August, the commitment of the people of Sierra Leone to building on their hard-won peace was tangible on every street corner in Freetown and around the provinces, as thousands queued peacefully from as early as four in the morning to cast a vote for their future,” said Victor Angelo, Executive Representative of the United Nations Secretary- General (ERSG) and UN Resident Coordinator in Sierra Leone.

“We truly hope that the same memorable, peaceful image will be visible across the country tomorrow and we want to commend the excellent work of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) and the Sierra Leonean Police in making this possible,” he said.

The election run-off between the two top presidential candidates will set in motion the final stages of the West African country’s first general elections since the departure of UN peacekeepers in 2005 and will mark the first time since the end of the country’s decade-long civil war that power is due to be handed from one civilian government to another.

“Saturday’s vote will be the culmination of a long and demanding election process that has been crucial for the stability of Sierra Leone. The country has taken tremendous steps towards consolidating peace since the days of the brutal civil war, and while the NEC and the police have put measures in place for a transparent and fair final run-off, it will be the responsibility of the political parties and their supporters to respect the peace and to accept the outcome,” said Angelo.

 The two candidates who won the highest number of votes at the 11 August polls will compete for the country’s Presidency on 8 September. Ernest Koroma took 44 percent of the vote, against 38 percent for Vice-President Solomon Berewa, neither one receiving the 55 percent required for an outright winner in the first round. On Saturday, a majority vote will suffice for a winner to be declared.