By Abubakarr Bah
The United States Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Michael Owen says there is a possibility for a run-off poll in November's presidential election apparently between the governing All People's Congress party and the main opposition Sierra Leone People's Party. According to the country's constitution, a candidate needs 55% of the votes cast to avoid a second ballot. Speaking on the popular Good Morning Salone programme on Radio Democracy in Freetown, Ambassador Owen said he had travelled across the country and had noticed that the two main political parties – APC and SLPP – appear to have a good support. He said he was convinced the elections in Sierra Leone would be peaceful adding that he was impressed with the peaceful political atmosphere between the political parties, and that the US government had donated millions of dollars towards the electoral process. Asked what he made of the presidential debate being planned by SLAJ and seven other organisations, the Ambassador said it was a very brilliant initiative and urged the candidates to participate. He said a presidential debate would give citizens of the country an opportunity to listen to their leaders about the programmes for the country. The ambassador was speaking just days after the APC party secretariat released a statement calling on President Koroma “not to share the same platform in the debate scheduled 30th October, 2012 with a man who has a penchant for violence and disrespect for law and order.” Their release followed a situation in which the police said that the motorcade of Julius Maada Bio failed to stop as they had instructed to provide passage to the president's convoy. The SLPP denied the allegations by the police.
