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On Friday, the president of Sierra Leone alleged that the United States pressured him to intervene during the tallying of votes for the June 24 election in his country.
“At the peak moment of announcing the election results, that’s when issues arose,” commented President Julius Maada Bio while addressing an audience at American University in Washington.
AFP reports that President Bio emphasized that the Election Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL) had diligently carried out all necessary calculations and procedures. ” I was now requested to stop them from calling the result by the United States. So, I don’t know who is accusing who of interference.”
Referring to the ECSL, President Bio added, “They operate as an independent, semi-autonomous entity. I made my stance clear, saying I’ve never contacted them before and I won’t start now.”
After the election, a joint statement from the United States, European Union, France, Ireland, and Germany expressed concerns mirroring those of national and international observers “about the lack of transparency in the tabulation process.”
Before the election, there was speculation that the country’s escalating inflation and challenging economic situation might provide an advantage to the opposition. However, Bio secured 56.17 percent of the votes, slightly surpassing the 55 percent threshold required to prevent a second round of voting.
On August 31, the U.S. State Department imposed visa restrictions on individuals “suspected of undermining Sierra Leone’s democracy,” which encompasses activities like vote manipulation or intimidating election monitors. Although the specific individuals affected by these restrictions were not disclosed, due to visa proceedings being confidential by U.S. law, President Bio weighed in on the matter.
Speaking at the institution where he obtained both his undergraduate and graduate degrees after relocating to the U.S., Bio mentioned his past transition from leading a brief military junta to overseeing a shift to democratic governance in the 1990s. He stated, “Elections, irrespective of where they take place globally, including in the U.S., are always subjects of contention.”
Bio further added, “When the U.S. questions the authenticity of the election results, it’s tantamount to endorsing a coup.”
Dae put petrol pa fire..smh😊
Time Will tell just wait Mr man
Haters are always in pain, irrespective of whatever positive strides….
Our country has it’s own constitution
And ECSL it’s an independent institution
Which act under it’s laws,not the mandate of international communities or the government to be.
Why those international communities cannot consider the views of other diplomat in their respective countries.
I blame ourselves, because some of us
Are eager to take the reign of power
And destroying our pride for individual selfish ambition
Indeed we’ve bunch clowns
What if another party comes to power and do the same thing? I hope you will post this same comment?
We all witnessed similar mediocrity in 2012,but as a nation we managed it with out undermining our institution set out by our State. All processes leading to the pools was credited, but western powers who wanted to change peoples views wanted a different scenario- I think Sierra Leone is a sovereign state that has the autonomy to regulate itself not someone dictating from outside.
Democracy has been slaughtered in the just concluded June 24 polls. We are going to battle with its effects 40 to 50 years down the line. People will understand this when power shifts…den say go school you say Bo school!!!
International community can interfere in our election because they feed and sponsor our so call governments. Till the day we are independent and be able to fend for ourselves, we must abide by their rules. If not, they keep their money. As for sovereign, it is not a yard-stick to commit corruption in election and say people don’t have the rights to intervene. All we ask is a polling station by polling station results. If konneh has done that, everything will be fine. He won’t do that because he fabricated the results. But one thing in life, what goes around comes around. I pray to be alive and see the day when power change hands in Sierra Leone then the party in power does the same as the SLPP are doing. If I hear fin, that is the time another foday sankoh will be born in Sierra Leone.
Democracy has been slaughtered since Ernest koroma’s government and it’s better to put a stop on the U.S. government to know there limits because even in the U.S. there is no democracy. Sierra Leonean should forget about politics and let focus on how to overcome this crisis.
Now I see the reason why the the former US ambassador was so angry.it because the president refused to be remote controlled by the US as it has always been in the case of African leaders.Thank you Mr.presidnt for tell US that u are not one of those puppets the have in Africa.
As a sovereign state what our nation provide for this June 24 elections? Again comparing 2012 elections to this 2023 can u state any malpractice /practices that occurred in 2012 elections that the international community disagreed with?.
It’s better made clear now than later.Its obvious they wanted a regime change to there advantage.
Even if Sierra Leoneans allow Maada Bio to rule for 30 years, it will just worsen situation in that country.He cannot meet with the criteria of the people.Sierra Leoneans are suffering so much.He can’t rule.He has failed the nation
Thanks Mr president for such a bombshell in America
Where were they (USA) when there election was a disgrace to democracy in the world between helare cleton and Donald trump
The quagmire of political intrigue, betrayal, and demagoguery, by useless & bogus politicians who blatantly pretend to placate the minds of their gullible supporters will be challenged this time around.
The unpatriotic, sycophancy, & sycopathic attitudes of criminal bogus politicians in Sierra Leone today, who are now actively bent on trying to betray their constituents should think twice again.
Because the suffering people of Sierra Leone will rise, & all those involved in the dubious act of betrayal should immediately relocate to another country, otherwise, the incoming revolution will also sweep all of them away like tsunami. It’s not a joke.
Hey look enough is enough. We would not accept any thing denying the transfer of power from the defunct and dysfunctional useless SLPP party to the APC party, any thing short of that, is an invitation of chaos, uncertainty, and possibly another powerful gorilla war fare In Sierra.
We are born revolutionaries, & we are hundred and 1 percent modern ready to challenge bogus Bio and effect a comprehensive change in Sierra Leone. The people are tired & needs freedom. We can not afford another 5 years of a so-called SLPP government.
Warning to Ecowas community, EU, the US, common wealth representatives, please don’t try to play with the intelligent & destiny of the people of Sierra Leone. We would not accept any bogus dialogue base on stupidity from any body, entity, or organisation period.
We would resist Bio & his bunch of criminals very soon. Don’t try to impose illegality on the people of Sierra Leone for the second time. This will not be accepted and fly.
We don’t want Bio, Bio must go ,ge has killed so many people ,and he did not have the goodness to come out to his people and explain. On that I class him as in the movie beast of no nation . He must go
I see the Reign of the Russian Power in Africa 🌍..
Thank you very much Mr. President, Julius Maada Bio. You did well to educate the world on the dubious acts of the west
Bio is a criminal a thief and a lier he doesn’t win the election he stole the election
It’s very funny and sad why people are seeing the truth and fail to say it. Just because of their selfish intrest.
You quys are not patriotic and lack the spjrit of developement that’s why you continue to defend this rigged elections.
But the end will justify the means.
Now the fat has hit the fire. Bio has allege that the US wanted him to intervene in the electoral process. It is now left for the US to prove that he did just that for his advantage.
There you idiots go again believing Lie-man Bio, or pretending to believe him simply because you are SLPP. Remember, BEFORE the voting was over, ECSL was announcing that with 50% of the votes in, Bio had secured 56%. Everyone knew that was a lie so the US jumped in. No, the US should not be telling Bio to stop vote counting, but that only arose because they see the cheating going on. The government should not be announcing false results. Bio knows ECSL and yes, him, refuse to release polling station data, which is proof that shows he did not get 55%. He also knows should there be a rematch between him and Samura, he loses because all the opposition parties would form a coalition with APC so he did not want a run-off but he is out here trying to play wayo, trying to act like a victim.
Tiffman Bio please stop acting holier than thou. You did not get 55% and you trampled on the will of the people. AND I am sure had Konneh had the mind to announce the true results, he would have heard from you, so stop please. Konneh knows why he was given his job, whether or not you spoke to him about the election, you did not have to. It’s all the same.
I have to hand it to him, he has big ones. He is so upset he got caught in a lie and is being called out on it that he has the mind to go to America and go make those statements. He didn’t do at home, he waited till he was on US soil. Ar guess e want lae den cut we off 100%. But thanks for doing it, the US now knows they can’t be easy-handed with you. We will call for more and more sanctions.
A Sanusie, are you sure you were taught arithmetic in school? I don’t mean mathematics. Bio scored 56.17% in the last election, or let us take it as 53%, according to “NEW” own guesstimation. If there was to be a run-off, how would Samura beat Bio with 47%? In fact, I don’t know who the other political parties are that would’ve form a coalition with the APC when the APCs are the worst of both evils. Maybe, as you have said “all the opposition parties,” there is a new political party call ‘ALL’ in our country that is invincible, that can give the APC 54% or more, Lol!
For Bio to wait until he gets in the lion’s den and accused them, this shows that he is a brave soldier, who is fearless. Sierra Leone has now become the death trap for America because very soon, you will hear this clip spreading like wild fire in Africa and across the globe.
It will be a good thing for you people to call for more and more sanctions against our people of Sierra Leone, so it will go down that the APCs are the enemies of our country. Congrats!