Commercial activities return as Sierra Leone voters await results

Trade and commercial activities returned to the streets of Freetown Sunday morning as Sierra Leoneans await the result of the general elections held Saturday.

A PREMIUM TIMES reporter who moved around the city observed that motorists, commuters and traders occupied major roads and open markets across the Freetown metropolis as vote counting continues in the various regions across the country.

Although most shops and commercial outlets remain shut Sunday morning, street traders took over the major roads to display their wares.

At Lumley, in the heart of the capital city, traders told PREMIUM TIMES that the elections have been peaceful hence their decision to begin trading while the process is still ongoing.

“There is peace and no incident of violence so we are happy,” said a fruit seller who identified herself simply as Fatima.

A commercial bus driver, Kamara Jacob, explained that he is ready to accept the result of the election because the process was peaceful.

“I voted and there was no incident of election fraud or violence in my polling centre so I will accept the result,” he said.

When PREMIUM TIMES visited the ever-busy Sani Abacha Street, off Regent Road, Freetown, traders were seen haggling prices with their customers as motorists moved slowly through the people.

At the Presidential Lodge area of Freetown, residents moved about peacefully in anticipation of the regional and presidential election results.

At strategic points across the metropolis, there were security operatives conducting random checks on some vehicles.

Tallying

On Sunday, PREMIUM TIMES gathered that tallying of the election results would take place in the various regions across the country.

For the Western Area, the exercise holds at the National Data Centre, Industrial Estate, Wellington, Freetown.

In the Southern Region, the exercise holds at ECSL Regional Office, Reservation Road, Bo City; while the Eastern Region collation exercise holds at the ECSL Regional Office, Reservation Road, Kenema City.

For the Northern Region, the exercise holds at the ECSL Regional Office, Azzolinni Highway, Makeni City while the North Western Region collation exercise holds at the District Council Hall, Port Loko City.

Contest

Saturday’s election is considered a straight contest between the incumbent president and candidate of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), Julius Bio, and Samura Kamara, the flagbearer of the All Peoples Congress (APC).

Other presidential candidates in the election are Mohamed Chernoh of the National Democratic Alliance; Coker Prince, People’s Democratic Party; Jonjo Mohamed, Citizens Democratic Party; Kabuta Henry, United National Peoples Party; and Kakay Iye, Alliance Democratic Party.

Also on the ballot are Kamara Musa, Peace and Liberation Party; Margai Francis, People’s Movement For Democratic Change; Saccoh Dougakoro, Revolutionary United Front Party; Sandy Patrick, National Unity and Reconciliation Party; Sowa-Turay Mohamed, United Democratic Movement; and Williams Victor, Republic National Independent Party.

In addition to the presidential ballot, Sierra Leonean voters are also electing members of parliament and local councillors in what will be the fifth election since the end of the country’s civil war, 21 years ago.

Many voters and analysts expect the presidential elections to spill into a run-off, due to the pre-election tension and popularity of the two leading candidates, SLPP’s Mr Bio and APC’s Mr Kamara.