We begin bringing you reports from our men on the ground. This report by Daniel M’Bompa Turay was to have been sent yesterday but the internet in Freetown was erratic.  We will bring you reports from our men on the ground as we receive them.

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VOTER TURN OUT WAS GOOD IN YESTERDAY’S ELECTIONS

Overlooking  the steeply  and mountainous Juba Hill stretching

through  the vast flat land of Lumley to the hilly side of Spur Road ,

I saw hundreds of thousand of Sierra Leoneans thronging   every street

and corner  to cast their votes.  Presidential, parliamentary,

mayoral, chairmanship and councillors elections will conclude today

each voter  voting  either four or five times depending on demographic

dynamics. Turn-out has been huge seemed very high. People are

increasingly becoming interested in their governance system. This

cannot be unconnected with the mass voter education campaign

undertaken by political parties and other persons.

 

ONE OF THE BUSES PROVIDED BY THE RTC FOR TRANSPORTING VOTERS TO POLLING STATIONS

 

The atmosphere has been peaceful with no incidence of violence

reported. Security personnel  are  smartly dressed and look vigilant

in executing their constitutional responsibility – that is, ensuring a

peaceful and violent free election .

 

Voting centres were crowded with NEC officials, polling agents,

observers (international and domestic) and journalist reporting for

various media houses and networks.  Polling Staff arrived around 5:00

AM and quickly fixed up their instruments and tools. Voting started at

exactly 7:00 AM at the Grass field community centre in Lumley.

 

A 56 years old woman, Seray Mansaray explained how she arrived at the

Grassfield Lumley polling centre as early as 3:00. She prayed her

early morning prayers  in an open place in the field.

 

Musa Suma, a first time voter boasted that President Koroma’s

impressive developmental pursuits coupled with untainted human rights

and press freedom track records have catapulted   him way ahead of the

other presidential candidates.

 

Retired civil servant, 73 years old, James Davies noted that he has

witnessed every post-colonial government in the country and reckoned

that President Koroma’s development strides are unprecedented. He

appealed to voters to give the President   another opportunity to

complete the good work, he has started.