Sierra Leone Police Disperse Opposition as Election Results Awaited

The Business Press – June 26, 2023 at 10:55AM

Police in Sierra Leone dispersed crowds at the main opposition party’s headquarters on Sunday evening using tear gas, as voters awaited the results of the country’s general election.

The election has been fiercely contested between the ruling party and the opposition, with tensions between the two escalating in recent days. The opposition has accused the government of vote-rigging, while the ruling party has accused the opposition of spreading false information to incite violence.

Konneh of the electoral commission said in a press conference that the party’s demands were “practically impossible” given the scale of the tallying.

Many polling stations opened and closed late in Freetown on Saturday, with voting officially ending at 11:30 pm (2330 GMT), according to Konneh.

He said it had been “one of the best election days” in recent history, “if not the best”.

Results are expected within 48 hours of the vote.

The situation has been tense, with reports of violence and intimidation on the day of the election. Despite this, turnout was high, with many voters eager to make their voices heard. However, as the day wore on and the results began to come in, tensions boiled over, with police firing tear gas to disperse crowds at the opposition party’s headquarters.