PARLIAMENT

Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio has urged all citizens in the country to keep the peace and continue to respect all public order laws.

In an address to the nation on Monday, President Bio said every person has a stake in maintaining peace during and after the announcement of election results.

President Bio, who is seeking re-election, is in an early lead with more than a million votes in the provincial results released by the electoral commission. The final results will be announced within 48 hours from Monday afternoon.

On Monday, many schools, offices and shops were closed in Freetown due to fear of post-election violence.

The president urged the police and security forces to exercise restraint when enforcing the law.

In order to win in the first round a presidential hopeful must secure 55% of the valid votes cast – otherwise there will be a run-off between the top two candidates two weeks after the announcement of the

Meanwhile the opposition candidate has called the provisional results in Sierra Leone “daylight robbery”, alleging that his electoral agents were not allowed to verify the ballot counting.

The election took place against the background of a troubled economy, the rising cost of living, and concerns about national unity.

The voters were choosing a president, MPs and councillors in the West African country’s fifth election since the civil war ended in 2002.

The 11-year conflict cost an estimated 50,000 lives, but since then the country has a tradition of largely peaceful, free and credible elections, according to Marcella Samba Sesay, chairperson of the NGO National Elections Watch.