On June 24, 2023, 3.4 million Sierra Leoneans will head to the polls to vote for a new president.

Let’s tell you that this will be the fifth election since the brutal 10-year civil war — and it is expected to follow the peaceful and somewhat democratic nature of its four predecessors.

Two familiar candidates are competing to lead this country of 8.4 million people. The incumbent, President Julius Maada Bio of the Sierra Leone People’s Party, is seeking re-election and has promised to prioritise improving access to public education and boosting agricultural production.

Samura Kamara of the All People’s Congress, the runner-up in the last presidential election of 2018, is the other candidate for the nation’s top role.

With these two going head-on, there is certainly a score to settle. However, not with some criticism on the part of the opposition berating the government for stifling their campaigns, there have also been accusations by the opposition alleging plans by the government to compromise the outcome of the elections with the borrowed ballot boxes from Guinea.

My guests for this panel discussion are:

Lawyer Charles Francis Margai – Presidential candidate People’s movement for Democratic Change – PMDC

Mohamed Kamara – Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All People’s Congress {APC}

Imran Sillah – Campaign Media member of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP)