Sierra Leone holds presidential runoff

FREETOWN– More than 3 million Sierra Leone voters went to the polls on Saturday to cast their ballots in the presidential run-off election. 

The election was supposed to be held on March 27 but was postponed due to a high court interim injunction which affected the distribution of voting materials across the country. 

While 16 political parties contested in the first round of vote in March 7, the runoff election would be contested by two candidates - Julius Maada Bio of the main opposition Sierra Leone People's Party(SLPP) who secured a first lead with 43.3 percent and Samura Kamara of the ruling All People's Congress(APC) who got a second position with 42.7 percent. 

According to the country's 1991 Constitution, a political party should pull 55 percent to be declared outright winner but any of the political parties that participated the first round could not reach that threshold, hence the runoff. 
For the runoff, it does not require a party to reach the 55 percent threshold but the one that would lead by a vote could be declared winner. 

Meanwhile, voters would also vote for Members of Parliament and Local Councils in areas where there were some challenges to conduct elections in the first round. Enditem 
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