Sierra Leone Election Finishes

In the wake of the US election, many forgot that sometimes, other people go to the polls too. And just that happened today, in Sierra Leone.

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Sierra Leone has had a horrible history of violence, with a civil war raging from 1991-2002, killing over 50,000 people. Too many children of Sierra Leone were child soldiers, so the nation as a whole has a lot of healing to do. You might remember Sierra Leone from the movie "Blood Diamond," which was supposed to be about Sierra Leone (never mind that it was filmed in South Africa).

The election results will be announced in the next ten days. Incumbent president Ernest Koroma and his All People's Party are running for re-election, with eight other challengers for president and two other main political parties giving them a run for their money. 

Any students reading this? Write me a paragraph analyzing this for extra credit.

Random Kate Thoughts: It is very exciting to hear about peaceful elections in a country that for so long understood only the barrel of a gun with regard to power. Even though democracy is often (too often) cited as an imposition of the west, I truly believe that letting everyone have their voice heard is universal. And as flawed as voting can be, it's a sure way to let your voice be heard.

Oh and a couple last things: although the elections were peaceful, one polling place had to be moved because of a "swarm of bees." And the counters didn't have electricity, so used handheld cell phones for light. Did I mention that Sierra Leone is an extremely poor and under-developed country? There is a lot on the plate of whomever wins this election.