Sierra Leone runoff due
2007-09-07 15:24
Freetown - Sierra Leoneans will on Saturday vote in a closely contested presidential run-off in a test of the west African country's ability to cement the peace it has enjoyed since war ended six years ago.
The election pits the leader of the opposition All People's Congress (APC)'s leader Ernest Koroma and Vice-President Solomon Berewa of the ruling Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP).
At least 2.6 million eligible voters would choose between the two politicians who led the first round, but failed to win the 55% of the vote required for an outright win.
While observers praised the first round of voting for being largely peaceful, there were concerns that for the second round the political temperatures had risen to new levels.
Ngola Karta of the National Elections Watch, which deployed more than 5 000 local election observers across the impoverished former British colony, said: "Tension is a little heightened."
Koroma pulls out of march
Concern deepened after a peace march proposed by the two rivals to calm nerves of supporters ahead of the deciding vote, did not go according to plan on Thursday.
Opposition leader Koroma pulled out of the march as the two sides traded accusations that each was not sufficiently concerned about peace in a country still recovering from the one of the world's most brutal civil wars.
Koromoa's APC stayed away from the rally, alleging the SLPP was training militias for post-election subversive activities.
It also alleged serious intimidation of its supporters in the traditional southeastern ruling party strongholds. They said it had got to the point that many were not sure they would be free to go and cast their ballots there.
Koroma said: "This was not happening before the run-off, but the SLPP still has not recovered from the outcome of the last results and is now bent on ensuring it wins at all costs."
13 people arrested
The SLPP spokesperson Victor Reider said they were disappointed at the outcome of the rally and that the hopes for a peaceful run had been "compromised".
President Ahman Tejan Kabbah's advisor Sama Banya said: "It is a disappointment that the rally did not take place because it would have helped to bring down the tensions."
At least 13 people had been arrested this week in Kono district for possessing machetes, he added.
The elections were only the second since the country emerged from a decade-long barbaric war fuelled by blood diamonds; and it was the first poll since some 17 500 UN peacekeepers left the country.
Victor Angelo, the UN envoy, expected "credible elections, properly monitored by all the parties' agents".
The polls organising body, the National Electoral Commission, chief of operations Aiah Mattia said preparations were well underway.
By Thursday night, polling material had been delivered to 13 of the 14 districts, with those in Freetown and surrounding area due to delivered on Friday.