Sierra Leone’s president wins second term without need for runoff, election commission announces

By KEMO CHAM
Associated Press

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (AP) — Sierra Leone’s election commission says President Julius Maada Bio has won a second term in office. The announcement Tuesday said that the incumbent leader had received 56.17% of ballots cast, just over the 55% needed to avoid a second round. Electoral officials said that the main opposition candidate in Saturday’s election, Samura Kamara, received 41.16% of the vote. Kamara immediately disputed the results in a tweet, and rejected the outcome. Earlier he had accused security forces of opening fire on his party headquarters _ something police have denied.  Bio said the results showed that people of differing languages and tribes in Sierra Leone were united in a desire for prosperity.