SIERRA LEONE- New President of Sierra Leone Juluis Maada Bio on Thursday started work on the transition of power after being declared winner of a bitterly-contested election run-off.
Bio won the election by 51.8% in last month’s election according to the official results on Wednesday.
Bio is a former solider who led a military group more than two decades ago, begun his term of office as president as a civilian.
Spokesperson for Bio’s SLPP party, Ali Kabbah, told AFP, “There is a meeting between Mr Bio and former President [Ernest Bai] Koroma at President Lodge… to discuss the transition team,”
On Wednesday evening he sworn in and handed a symbolic baton of command by the country’s top judge in a hotel.
Samura Kamara who lost the election is disputing the results, he officially received 48.19% after the National Election Commission (NEC), released the results, he said in a televised address, “We dispute the results and we will take legal action to correct them.”
The United States congratulated Bio on his victory, they said, “As a longstanding friend, the United States congratulates the people of Sierra Leone on their active and peaceful participation in the presidential elections” and they praised the NEC for a “orderly, well-managed” elections.
Photo Credit- The New York Times
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