PRESIDENT BIO TAKES EARLYLEAD IN SIERRA LEONE PRESIDENTIAL RACE

The first set of results in Sierra Leone’s presidential election with the votes from 60% of the polling stations tallied show that the incumbent, Julius Maada Bio is in the lead. The electoral commission says that he has 56% of the vote so far with his
closest rival, Samura Kamara, of the All People’s Congress (APC), getting 42%.

In order to win in the first round, a candidate needs more than 55% of the vote. The final results are now expected in the next 48 hours, the electoral commission said. Meanwhile, the APC had previously made complaints about the conduct of
the election and the electoral commission. Saturday’s vote took place in a tense atmosphere at the culmination of a
campaign marred by several violent incidents.