FREETOWN, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Julius Maada Bio of the main opposition Sierra Leone People's Party won Sierra Leone's presidential runoff, the National Electoral Commission said on Wednesday.
Maada Bio obtained 51.81 percent of valid vote, while his main challenger, Samura Kamara, of the ruling All People's Congress garnered 48.19 percent, according to official results released by the commission.
In the first round of the presidential election on March 7, Maada Bio secured a lead with 43.3 percent of the vote and Kamara got second position with 42.7 percent. Since none of the candidates reach 55 percent, hence the presidential runoff.
This is the fourth elections the West African country has conducted since the 11-year rebel war that ravaged the country. Sixteen political parties contested in the elections, with more than 3.1 million voters registered across the country.
