Woman appeals to run for chief
2009-12-15 20:18
Freetown - A Sierra Leone woman is contesting an election in the eastern part of the West African country after officials said women could not run for the chiefdom.
Elizabeth Kumba Simbiqa Torto says the officials' decision is discriminatory and wants a new poll. She says she was harassed and threatened by officials and residents when she complained, and on Monday was prevented from going home when protesters attacked her house and threw stones at her convoy.
Her nephew was elected to the post from a ballot of nine male candidates on December 5.
Torto, a nurse in her 60s, has worked in Kono district for 30 years and says she is eligible for the position because her father was a chief.
Sierra Leone's Human Rights Commission says they support her campaign.
- SAPA