Election Fever

Over the past few months, Sierra Leone had been building up to the national elections, which took place on 17^th November. These were only the 2^nd multiparty elections since the end of the war, and said to be the 1^st which Sierra Leone itself would be responsible for running. With accusations of corruption, vote rigging and tampering with ballots always close at hand, it was also important that there were international observers, including from EU, and an ongoing UN presence (possibly to be greatly reduced if elections go well). People are aware that there is a possibility of violence erupting, particularly as many here are still living in terrible conditions and there are thousands of unemployed, angry young men. However, there is also a strong desire for peace to be maintained, and there has been a campaign of messages to this effect – including the “No Violence” song that seems to have been played on a loop on some of the radio stations!

Campaigning in Sierra Leone is very different from what I have seen in the UK. For a start, there are low literacy levels here and many rural areas lack much communication from the cities. This means that the campaign is not so much about manifestos or debates. Instead, the politicians really get in their cars and tour buses and go around the country, giving speeches and holding rallies to whip up public support (and intimidate their opponents with a show of strength, it looks like). Voting is strongly associated with the colours and motifs of each party. The ruling APC – All People’s Congress- is red colour, with a rising sun.



The main opposition party, the SLPP – Sierra Leone People’s Party
 – is green, with a palm leaf logo.

 The underlying factor in deciding loyalties in politics here often comes down to ethnic and geographical background: Temnes and northern regions voting APC; Mendes and southern regions going SLPP. However, this becomes a lot more complicated in mixed areas like Freetown, and on the “swing states” in between north and south where the main wrangling has been going on. There certainly seems to have been a high degree of community involvement in the campaign, with many of our staff members coming to work in their party’s colours and wearing supporting wristbands. Fortunately, it has all remained friendly inside the workplace!

A campaign timetable was worked out for the 9 parties who had candidates for positions including local councillors and parliamentarians as well as president. It gave each of them “rally days” in each area. This resulted in huge marches through the streets of Freetown on the days that the SLPP and APC were rallying – best not to try to go anywhere at all!

Finally on 17^th November we got to voting day and there was a general curfew: no vehicles allowed to circulate except those with special permits and virtually everything shut down except voting stations. I did have to go out on hospital business, and noticed long lines of people patiently waiting to vote from very early in the morning. Apparently there was a turnout of 87%, which is impressive if it is true! Everyone had been told not to wear party colours and to be peaceful on the day, and that went well.

After the vote was in, the waiting for results started. There were several false alarms when we thought results were going to be broadcast on the radio (small results from each of the hundreds of polling stations were being read out but they were nigh on impossible to keep track of). Then we had the National Electoral Committee telling us that …….some ballot boxes were going to be recounted because of “irregularities”…….still waiting for results. Finally, on 23^rd November – 6 days after the vote – the incumbent candidate Ernest Bai Koroma of the APC was announced as the winner. Cue hundreds of people in red shirts taking to the streets, car horns, burning tyres and fireworks, but thankfully no violence. EBK got sworn in virtually straight away, so although the SLPP has not officially accepted the result yet, it is hard to see what they can do.

For the international community, there is relief that there has been no major violence and we just hope that the government will work for the people and make good use of the revenues that they have from mineral extraction and donor aid.  I personally cannot claim to have much understanding of the workings of Salone politics and just wish that they will go on trying to provide free healthcare for mothers and children and pay the salaries of the few healthcare staff they do have! (I am not paid by them myself but see too many doctors and nurses in the government hospitals whose salaries come late if they come at all and it is a big demotivator).

That is the end of this socio-political post; back to more of my random personal musings next time!

(And the next one will probably be my last as I am heading back to Edinburgh in December and saying goodbye to Salone).

See you all soon!