16 October 2017•Update: 16 October 2017
By Alpha Kamara
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone’s ruling All People’s Congress (APC) party has elected the country’s current Foreign Affairs Minister as the party’s presidential candidate for the upcoming elections.
Dr. Samura Kamara was elected from twenty candidates including the current Vice President to run for the country’s top job under the party ticket at the group’s national convention in Makeni, the northern capital.
Sierra Leoneans will go to the pools in March when President Koroma’s second and final term comes to an end.
Dr. Samura Kamara was an executive at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington. He was appointed the country’s Financial Secretary and Bank Governor of the Bank of Sierra Leone until 2009 when he was appointed Foreign Affairs Minister.
Meanwhile, the main opposition, Sierra Leone People’s Party SLPP, also today elected former junta leader Rtd Brigadier Julius Maada Bio to lead the party as flag bearer in the next elections.
He won unanimously after several key candidates resigned from the party weeks ago including former UNIDO chief Dr. Kandeh Yumkella for reasons including marginalization and unfair treatment.
One of the two men will be Sierra Leone’s next leader as President Koroma has assured Sierra Leoneans of a free and fair elections process.
