Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
Voice of America is funded by the US Federal Government and content it
exclusively produces is in the public domain.
August 19, 2007

Sierra Leone Political Parties Prepare for Possible Runoff
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=18CAFE8:A6F02AD83191E1600C1ABF95E2D35F449574F7DCC14957C0 Top two contenders
will not be able to get 55 percent of votes needed to win outright





Pedestrians pass in front of a campaign banner for presidential
candidate and current vice president Solomon Berewa following the
close of the polls, in Freetown A runoff is looking likely in Sierra
Leone's presidential election, held last Saturday. With more than 80
percent of preliminary results released, neither of the top two
contenders is close to the 55 percent of votes needed to win outright.
In the latest results released by the National Electoral Commission,
opposition leader Ernest Koroma has 44 percent and Vice President
Solomon Berewa has 38 percent. Kari Barber has more from VOA's West
Africa bureau in Dakar.

Spokesman for the ruling Sierra Leone People's Party, Victor Reider,
says his party is preparing its strategy in case the presidential vote
goes to a runoff, which would likely be held in September. SLPP
candidate Vice President Solomon Berewa has trailed Ernest Koroma of
the All People's Congress throughout the preliminary vote tallying.

"Our priority will be to go back to our people, especially in those
areas where we seemingly did not do well and try to canvas their
support while not underestimating the need for alliances," he said.

The People's Movement for Democratic Change, the party of third place
candidate Charles Margai, broke off from the ruling party in 2006. A
runoff would likely see the APC and SLPP courting the third place
candidate's backing and supporters.

Carolyn Norris with the International Crisis Group says a runoff could
provide a good opportunity for Sierra Leoneans to make demands on
their leaders.

"I think it will be an interesting time, but it is also a time when
the electorate should take every possibility to make requests of
presidential candidates who remain in the race and try and establish
the rules of what they want the president to do for Sierra Leone,"
said Norris. 

The Sierra Leone government has been called one of the most corrupt in
the world, according to surveys by non governmental organizations.

Norris says the voters will want to see the winner taking immediate
actions to show progress once he enters office.

"The expectations of the Sierra Leone people have been heightened by
this very vibrant electoral process and once this person is in the
statehouse, that person has to take very seriously the expectation of
the population," added Norris.

President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah could not run again after serving the
maximum two terms in office.

The presidential elections are the first since UN peacekeepers left
Sierra Leone in 2005 after an eleven year civil war that ravaged the
country. The war is said to have been fueled by the illegal sale of
so-called "conflict diamonds."


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