Sierra Leone’s Supreme Court has postponed the presidential runoff that had been scheduled for Tuesday March 27 to Saturday March 31, a statement by the National Electoral Commission (NEC) said late Monday.
A High Court injunction affected NEC’s preparations which led to the four-day extension.
The commission’s lawyers approached the country’s top court seeking for the extension just hours after the High Court lifted its injunction on the process.
— The Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (@ECsalone) March 26, 2018
The ruling All People’s Congress(APC) candidate Samura Kamura is set to battle it out against the main opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party(SLPP) candidate Julius Maada Bio in the presidential runoff.
The first round in the March 7 poll saw Maada Bio coming in first after he garnered 43.3 % against Samura Kamara’s 42.7%. The two did not attain the required 55% therefore calling for a presidential runoff. The other 14 candidates shared the remaining votes meaning only these two could face off in the runoff according to the constitution.
The electoral process has been largely seen as free and fair despite concerns about voter intimidation and tribe-linked violence.
Sierra Leone is set to have a new president after the March 30 poll. That person will take over from incumbent President Ernest Bai Koroma who was ineligible to run after serving his two successive terms.
