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[[Observers of Sierra Leone's election are raising concerns about vote count irregularities in a ballot that declared President Julius Maada Bio’s re-election. As the Muslim-majority nation marks Islam’s Eid Al-Adha, the feast of sacrifice, there are calls for peace and unity, after violence during the polling process left at least one dead. Senanu Tord reports from Freetown, Sierra Leone.]]
Content TypePackage
LanguageEnglish
Transcript/ScriptSIERRA LEONE ELECTIONS WRAP (TV/R)
HEADLINE: Sierra Leoneans Call for National Unity After Election Irregularities
TEASER: Pundits say political and tribal fissures further deepened by ballot
PUBLISHED AT: 06/29/2023 at 7:28 pm
BYLINE: Senanu Tord
DATELINE: Freetown, Sierra Leone
VIDEOGRAPHER: Senanu Tord
PRODUCER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: Ide, MAS
VIDEO SOURCE(S): VOA Original
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV X RADIO X
TRT: 3:02
VID APPROVED BY: mia
TYPE: TVPKG/RADIO
EDITOR NOTES:
((INTRO))
[[Observers of Sierra Leone's election are raising concerns about vote count irregularities in a ballot that declared President Julius Maada Bio’s re-election. As the Muslim-majority nation marks Islam’s Eid Al-Adha, the feast of sacrifice, there are calls for peace and unity, after violence during the polling process left at least one dead. Senanu Tord reports from Freetown, Sierra Leone.]]
((VIDEO-VOA: ELECTIONS - VARIOUS, SAMBA-SESAY ))
((NARRATOR))
Sierra Leone’s electoral commission says Julius Maada Bio won the 2023 presidential election, narrowly capturing victory with 56% of the valid votes. That is just above the 55% needed to avoid a run-off.
But national and international observer missions say there are concerns about how the figure was tallied due to a lack of transparency and restricted access to the vote- counting process.
((RADIO INTRO: Marcella Samba-Sesay is the chairperson of the National Election Watch))
((Marcella Samba-Sesay, National Election Watch Chairperson)) ((English 24 secs))
“Things became a little bit eerie and opaque. A number of observer missions could not be able to do the coalition as they wished to. A number of National Election Watch observers at the tally centers equally called attention to access to the process. There
were access to observe in some areas, in some regions, while as in others, access was very limited”
((VIDEO-VOA: ELECTIONS - VARIOUS, SAMBA-SESAY // ELECTIONS - VARIOUS, CRIME SCENE - VARIOUS KAMARA))
((NARRATOR))
National Election Watch, or NEW, has been observing Sierra Leone polls since the end of the 11-year civil war in 2002.
The group says none of the presidential candidates met the minimum threshold to secure a win. It also questioned the electoral commission’s voter turnout figures and rejection of ballots it said were inaccurate.
The opposition party All People’s Congress claimed its candidate, Dr. Samura Kamara, won the vote, sparking violence outside its headquarters.
[[REST OPT]]
Awudu Kamara says he lives nearby.
((Awudu Kamara - Citizen)) ((Krio - 20 secs))
“The police used force to disperse the people. They started firing tear gas into the crowd. I tried to get closer to see what was happening, but things got tense and the security personnel started firing live bullets into the crowd, so I quickly left the scene.”
((VIDEO-VOA: ELECTIONS - VARIOUS, CRIME SCENE - VARIOUS, MANSARAY))
Political analysts say campaign messages further deepened existing divides.
((RADIO INTRO: Melvin Tejan Mansaray is a political analyst and a former parliamentary correspondent))
((Melvin Tejan Mansaray - Political Analyst)) ((English - 20 secs))
“Both political parties, both of their candidates were pelting it. If you go to the south and the southeast, people were using tribal sentiments of, ‘oh, if you don't vote for us, these people are coming against you’ and if you go to the northwest, people are going to tell you that, ‘oh, you see, we are in opposition and see how we are being treated.’”
[[END REST OPT]]
((VIDEO-VOA: EID CELEBRATIONS- VARIOUS, WRIGHT))
((NARRATOR))
As some families marked Eid Ul Adha, they urged the newly sworn-in president to address the nation for unity.
[[FOR RADIO: Floyd C. Wright says many are still traumatized from the civil war and leaders should work to heal and unite the nation.]]
((Floyd C. Wright - Citizen)) ((English - 20 secs))
“Come on radio, come on TV, do jingles. Try and preach peace. Tomorrow is another day. The other elections will be in five years' time. So, let's try and deal with the situation we have now in terms of moving the country forward.”
((VIDEO-VOA: FREETOWN - VARIOUS))
Meanwhile, Sierra Leoneans wait to see what legal steps the opposition parties will take and hope to come out united.
((Senanu Tord, for VOA news, Freetown, Sierra Leone)
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)
Freetown, Sierra Leone
Embargo DateJune 29, 2023 18:39 EDT
Byline
Senanu Tord, for VOA News
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
