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| Sierra Leone election: Julius Maada Bio fast-tracks presidential oath in a hotel | Sierra Leone election: Julius Maada Bio fast-tracks presidential oath in a hotel |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Sierra Leone's opposition candidate, Julius Maada Bio, has rushed to take his presidential oath in a hotel after winning the run-off election. | Sierra Leone's opposition candidate, Julius Maada Bio, has rushed to take his presidential oath in a hotel after winning the run-off election. |
| Mr Maada Bio is a former military ruler who briefly ruled the country in 1996. | Mr Maada Bio is a former military ruler who briefly ruled the country in 1996. |
| He narrowly beat ruling party candidate Samura Kamara, who has alleged irregularities and says he will challenge the outcome in court. | He narrowly beat ruling party candidate Samura Kamara, who has alleged irregularities and says he will challenge the outcome in court. |
| Mr Maada Bio was sworn in on Wednesday, less than two hours after being declared the winner of Saturday's vote. | Mr Maada Bio was sworn in on Wednesday, less than two hours after being declared the winner of Saturday's vote. |
| "[This is] the dawn of a new era," he said. "The people of this great nation have voted to take a new direction." | "[This is] the dawn of a new era," he said. "The people of this great nation have voted to take a new direction." |
| Mr Maada Bio, leader of the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP), won just under 52% of the vote. | Mr Maada Bio, leader of the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP), won just under 52% of the vote. |
| He has already ruled the country, albeit briefly. | He has already ruled the country, albeit briefly. |
| The 53-year-old was part of a group of soldiers who overthrew the government in 1992 when he was in his late 20s. | The 53-year-old was part of a group of soldiers who overthrew the government in 1992 when he was in his late 20s. |
| In January 1996, he staged a palace coup, arguing that his boss, Capt Valentine Strasser, wanted to renege on the promised handover to an elected civilian government. | In January 1996, he staged a palace coup, arguing that his boss, Capt Valentine Strasser, wanted to renege on the promised handover to an elected civilian government. |
| His supporters point to that to call him the "father of democracy". | His supporters point to that to call him the "father of democracy". |
| But his critics cite human rights violations witnessed while he was in power, for which he has taken "collective responsibility". | But his critics cite human rights violations witnessed while he was in power, for which he has taken "collective responsibility". |
| The outgoing president, Ernest Bai Koroma, stepped aside after serving two five-year terms for the All People's Congress (APC). He had hand-picked Mr Kamara as his preferred successor. | |
| Mr Maada Bio lost to Mr Koroma in the previous election. | Mr Maada Bio lost to Mr Koroma in the previous election. |
| A hard road ahead | A hard road ahead |
| By Umaru Fofana in Freetown | By Umaru Fofana in Freetown |
| It has been a sometimes acrimonious campaign with the defeated candidate's party accusing the electoral commission, foreign observers, civil society and journalists of being a part of an international conspiracy to hand the election to Mr Maada Bio. | It has been a sometimes acrimonious campaign with the defeated candidate's party accusing the electoral commission, foreign observers, civil society and journalists of being a part of an international conspiracy to hand the election to Mr Maada Bio. |
| Even with the country's deep-rooted ethnic politics, tribalism came to the fore more prominently than ever before. | Even with the country's deep-rooted ethnic politics, tribalism came to the fore more prominently than ever before. |
| With a narrow outcome, the new president has vowed to heal the divisions, and build back the country's broken educational system. He has a tough job ahead of him, made harder by the fact that his party has a minority in parliament. | With a narrow outcome, the new president has vowed to heal the divisions, and build back the country's broken educational system. He has a tough job ahead of him, made harder by the fact that his party has a minority in parliament. |
| Sierra Leone is one of the world's poorest countries, with a fragile economy and widespread corruption. | |
| It suffered heavily during a devastating Ebola outbreak in 2014. The disease killed nearly 4,000 people yet there are still only 200 doctors serving the country of seven million people. | |
| Mr Maada Bio has promised to heal the country's divisions and rebuild the country's broken education system. |