I used to vote with my hands, I did it today with my toe

Lamin Janka Amputee

Correspondents say the polls were by far the most peaceful in Sierra Leone since independence from Britain in 1961.

The head of the United Nations mission in Sierra Leone, Oluyemi Adeniji, said the election seemed to reflect citizens' enthusiasm for voting in a free environment after years of violence.

The British Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, described the peaceful nature of the polling as a remarkable achievement.

Mr Kabbah was one of the first to cast his vote

British troops, together with UN forces, played a key role two years ago in Sierra Leone, preventing rebels from overthrowing the elected government headed by President Kabbah.

"These elections mark a new chapter of politics and peace in Sierra Leone's history. This is a remarkable achievement and clearly illustrates the real progress Sierra Leone is making towards lasting peace," Mr Straw said.

Mr Straw's sentiments were echoed by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, who described the elections as "a major step on the road to lasting, sustainable peace".

Election observers have said there were some irregularities, including under-age voting and possible double-voting, but it is not yet clear how widespread this was. Official results are not expected for several days.

Rebels transformed

The former rebels, who have now laid down their weapons, have pledged to respect the outcome of this election if it is judged free and fair.

A representative for the former rebels was among the eight other candidates contesting the presidential election.

Early returns, however, suggested that support had been low for Pallo Bangura of the former Revolutionary United Front rebels, who have transformed themselves into a political party, the RUFP.

The other candidates include:

• Ernest Koroma from the former ruling party, the All People's Congress
• Zainab Bangura, the only woman candidate, a civil rights activist whose Movement for Progress is popular among market women
• Johnny Paul Koroma, who ousted Mr Kabbah in a military take-over in 1997, before being toppled by Nigerian troops a year later.

The leader of the RUFP, Foday Sankoh, is currently in prison on murder charges and may be prosecuted for war crimes by a special court set up the United Nations and the Sierra Leone Government.

During the war, the rebels mutilated thousands of civilians by hacking off limbs, noses and ears.

'Peace and love'

Mr Kabbah was one of the first to cast his ballot, in what is usually a nightclub called Rumours. He did not say anything, other than that his vote was secret.

Victims of the war are still wary of the RUF.

There will be a run-off if no candidate receives 55% of the vote

Kemoh Sheriff, 28, whose leg was amputated by the rebels, said: "There should be peace and love after the elections.

"I cannot forgive the RUF, but they are our brothers. If you did not allow them to contest, maybe they would have had another agenda and started fighting again."

Ya-Bom Kamara was more forthright.

"I will never forgive them. When they cut off my hands they said 'Go to (President) Kabbah and ask him to give back your hands'. I am voting for Kabbah. Who will vote for the RUF?"

UN role

The 17,500-strong UN Mission in Sierra Leone (Unamsil) is the world's biggest peacekeeping operation.

Its troops have also provided support by transporting ballot boxes for the 2.3 million registered voters, and conveying regional results back to Freetown.

If no candidate gets 55% of the vote, there will be a run-off between the top two candidates.

In the legislative election, parties must receive at least 12.5% of the vote in order to be represented in parliament.