Sierra Leone Presidential election 2023: Samura Kamara and Julius Maada Bio race to be president - Wetin you need to know
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Sierra Leoneans head to di ballot boxes across di country on to vote for who go be dia president, members of parliament and local council leaders.
Dis na sixth time Sierra Leone go conduct general elections since di kontri witness military takeover for 1992.
Di election don dey described as one wey matter well well wit hopes say e fit save di kontri country from economic meltdown as inflation for Sierra Leone don tie wrapper.
Incumbent president Julius Madaa Bio take over power for 2018 as im defeat di govment wey bin dey in power by a narrow victory. Many Sierra Leoneans bin see im victory five years ago as one wey go save di kontri democracy.
As di Nation dey ready for di polls on 24th June 2023, questions around di economy and credibility of di election don be di discussion on various platforms.
Sierra Leone Presidential election date
Di West African nation of approximately eight million pipo go hold general elections on 24 June 2023.
Over 3.4 million don register to vote.
But on Wednesday, di kontri election body announce say early voting go start on Thursday 15 June so dat pipo wey dey go perform pilgrimage for Saudi Arabia fit vote before dem travel go Mecca.
End of Di one wey oda users dey read well well
Di Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone say di pilgrims fit vote for any ECSL district office across di kontri.
Who be di major presidential candidates
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Di two major presidential candidates na:
- Di incumbent, President Julius Madaa Bio of di Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP)
- Dr Samura Kamara of di All People's Congress (APC).
Dis two parties na dem don be di main contenders for Sierra Leone general election since di kontri gain independence from di British monarchy for 1961. APC na dem don govern di most.
Di list wey di Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone( ECSL) publish show say 13 presidential candidates na im dem approve to dey on di ballot.
Among dis number, only one female presidential candidate dey di list.
Di ECSL leave out some political parties from di process as dem say di parties fail to meet di requirements wey dem set.
Wetin dey new for di upcoming elections
Sierra Leone go vote under di proportional representation system.
Di kontri last use dis block system of voting for 2003 due lack of boundary issues wey dem bin dey unable solve after di eleven years of war wey di kontri suffer.
Ahead of di 2023 election body wey dia responsibility na to conduct elections for di kontri change dia name from National Electoral Commission (NEC) to Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL).
Di ECSL, go conduct councillors and members of parliament election under di PR system.
After di 24 June election, di new parliament go get 135 members of parliament and 14 paramount chief members of parliament.
How di ECSL go declare winner for Sierra Leone Presidential Election
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Di winner of di presidential election for Sierra Leone must get 55% of di total vote cast or else dem go conduct runoff between di two candidates wey get di highest number of votes.
For di last presidential election for 2018, di winner bin dey decided for runoff contest as no one bin dey able to secure di 55% for di first ballot.
Wetin be di issues for di election
Di economy na one of di main issues for Sierra Leone June 24 elections.
High cost of living challenges and high tax from di govment on business na di problem. Prices of basic commodities according to di Trading Economics report rise to 52.33% in April of 2023, na di highest di kontri don ever experience.
Businesses dey struggle wit high rate of di dollar daily.
Di opposition don blame President Maada Bio govment for di lack of effort to control di hike of di dollar in di market wey dey affect many business.
Despite di re-domination of di kontri currency wey happen for 2022, e no create any impact on di economy as di old currency still be legal tender and inflation continue to dey rise.
Di election go be free and fair?
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Question marks over di credibility of di ECSL don come up especially among civil society groups and opposition parties.
Dem no dey happy about di lack of transparency from di side of di Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone. Di ECSL so far neva release data for dem to monitor di election wit only few days before polls go open.
Police authorities don also carry out arrests of critical opposition voices.
