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Sierra Leone: Voting concludes peacefully in presidential election – awaiting results
His supporters point to strides made in the country’s health care system through a program offering free medical aid. And they also see hope for Sierra Leone because of several offshore oil discoveries made in the last three years.
Koroma’s health care program has proved enormously popular in a country hard hit by cholera earlier this year and that has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in the world.
At a maternity clinic across the street from one downtown polling station, nurses were voting in shifts.
“I am not a politician, but many mothers are coming here,” said midwife Kiptieu Tarawalai, adding that under Koroma’s plan the women who come to her clinic only pay for their food and clothing.
Horatio Bundoo Williams, a 34-year-old landlord, said that while he wasn’t a fan of the governing party it had earned his vote through their public policy improvements.
“He told us he was going to give us light, he gave us light,” Williams said.
However, doubts remain about the long-term feasibility of the health program. The opposition also believes that more needs to be done to promote job creation, and some frustrated voters said they were backing Bio instead.
