Sierra Leone's ruling party declared winner of legislative polls in contested vote

The ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party SLPP has won the June 24 legislative elections, according to results read Saturday (Jul. 1st) by the electoral commission's chairman Mohamed Kenewui Konneh.

The SLPP secured 81 seats while the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) won 54.

The APC said it would refuse to participate in 'any level of governance' citing "glaring irregularities" and alleging tampered results were destined to give the SLPP majority at all levels.

One of the main opposition figures; Freetown mayor Aki-Sawyerr retained control of the strategic mayorship.

Sierra Leone’s main opposition party has demanded a re-run of the presidential polls after incumbent President Julius Maada Bio was declared the winner and swiftly sworn in for a second term in the West African nation.

The opposition APC party accused the electoral commission of conspiring with Bio's party and called among other things for the resignation of the electoral commission chairman.

The APC’s statement comes as pressure mounts on the electoral commission to open up its conduct of the tabulation process of the elections results. While regional observers like the African Union and ECOWAS declared the elections free and fair, other observers have stressed that the counting and tabulation process lacked transparency. The European Union, the UK, U.S. and France in particular have pressured the electoral commission to display results from each polling station. “What culminated in the rogue announcement of fraudulent election results on June 25 was not just a naked theft of the votes of the suffering masses who needed change, it represents the biggest threat to our democracy, unity and survival as a nation,” it said.