Sierra Leone: Police raid Maada Bios home
News & Trends •
president ernest bai koroma who cannot run again after two consecutive five-year terms has anointed former foreign minister samura kamara as his successor for the ruling all peoples congress apc1 agency reports said bios home was surrounded by police at about 6pm when counting of votes began at polling stations1 after an intervention by former ghanaian president and election observer john dramani mahama police were allowed to enter they said refusing to comment on the purpose of the raid1 he was able to persuade them to allow us access to the building said mohamed kamara head of the police criminal investigation1 we came in with a warrant he added saying officers observed material on several laptops before dispersing by 8pm1 slpp spokesman lahai lawrence leema said it was an act of intimidation aimed at rigging elections1 the apc and slpp have dominated sierra leones politics since independence in 1961 but third parties are hoping to make their mark after mounting charismatic campaigns based on the two parties shortcomings1 they were initially refused entry reports said1 a statement released by civil society groups mentioned scuffles in a rural area that were quickly brought under control1 an afp journalist also witnessed riot police being deployed on the streets of the capital freetown with chief superintendent mohamed bangura confirming two arrests after scuffles involving rival parties1 the export-dependent economy of the mineral-rich but impoverished country is in a dire state following the 2014-16 ebola crisis and a commodity price slump that has driven away foreign investors1 a presidential runoff is likely according to experts as the threshold to win outright in the first round is 55 percent1 the apc broadly relies on the temne and limba people in its northern strongholds while the slpp is more popular in the south with the mende ethnic group1 the national grand coalition ngc headed by former un diplomat kandeh yumkella is challenging the two-party system by appealing to young and better-educated urban voters deemed less likely to vote along regional and ethnic lines1 its communications chief said it had reported some irregularities to the national election commission nec1