Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Freetown (Agenzia Fides)- Ernest Bai Koroma, leader of the All People’s Congress Party (APC), is the new President of Sierra Leone. This was announced in the later morning today 17 September by the Independent Electoral Commission. Koroma won 54.6% of the votes the second round of elections against outgoing vice president, Solomon Berewa (who won 45.4% of the ballots) held on 8 September (see Fides 7 and 8 September 2007).
Sierra Leone waited with some anxiety the announcement of the official results. “The atmosphere is not serene” Fides was told by missionary sources in the capital Freetown, and in London where there is a large Sierra Leone community in constant contact with the home country. “Outgoing President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah has called for calm and so have the religious leaders. Let us hope this suffices to avoid recurrence to violence” said the source in Freetown. Tension stems from the publication of partial results which showed the oppostion All People’s Congress Party (APC) the prevail over the party in government the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP), which had presented the candidacy of outgoing vice president Solomon Berewa.
Yesterday, 16 September the SLPP appealed to the Supreme Court to stop the National Electoral Commission from announcing the partial results. “Votes must still be counted in 400 stations in the north and 1,200 in the South” our sources said. “However it is clear the Oppostion has won”.
“We wish to believe that Sierra Leone can change President and government following the rules of democracy. I am confident that despite the recent past of wars and violence the people will accept the results of the votes peacefully ” said Italian Xaverian missionary Fr. Gerardo Caglioni, with years of experience in the country and author of a History of the Evangelisation of Sierra Leone. “It is true there is tension, but we must play down the more alarmist voices: let us put our confidence in the people”.
The new President has been a teacher and a business man in Sierra Leone and in Britain. His electoral campaign was based on the fact that he was an “outsider” to politics and therefore not compromised with a past of corruption. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 17/9/2007 righe 30 parole 393)
