Following the announcement of the parliamentary election results by Sierra Leone’s Electoral Commission on Saturday evening, the main opposition party, the APC, issued a scathing statement denouncing the elections as “rigged.” The APC declared its refusal to participate in the governance of the country. Despite these claims, the electoral authority proceeded to disclose the composition of the new Parliament.
Under tight security measures, the president of Sierra Leone’s Electoral Commission addressed the public on Saturday. While expressing gratitude, he made no mention of the APC’s rejection of the results. Instead, he proceeded to meticulously read out the results of the legislative elections before departing without uttering a word.
According to Mohamed Kenewui Konneh, the ruling party, SLPP, secured 60% of the seats in the new Parliament, with 81 deputies. Meanwhile, the APC won 54 seats. Interestingly, the opposition managed to retain control over the capital, Freetown, as their candidate, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, obtained 51.36% of the vote there, according to the Electoral Commission’s data.
Earlier in the day, the APC declared its non-participation “in any level of governance, including the legislature and local councils.” However, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr acknowledged her election as the mayor of Freetown, based on the results from 85% of the polling stations. She vowed to release the corresponding records to the public within 48 hours. The political landscape in Sierra Leone remains tense as the opposition contests the election outcomes and prepares to present evidence to support their claims.