Sierra Leone kicks off general elections

STORY: Sierra Leone kicks off general elections DATELINE: June 25, 2023 LENGTH: 00:02:02 LOCATION: Freetown CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. Various shots of Sierra Leone general elections STORYLINE: Sierra Leone kicks off its presidential, parliamentary, and local council elections Saturday, with more than 3.3 million registered voters casting their ballots across the country. Voters queued in over 11,000 polling stations that were opened from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. A total of 13 registered political parties including the ruling Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) and the main opposition All People's Congress (APC) participated in the elections, which are observed by both local and international observers in all polling stations. President Julius Maada Bio is seeking a second and final term as he is contesting against the main opposition presidential candidate Samura Kamara whom he defeated in the 2018 elections. To be declared the winner of the presidential race, the leading presidential candidate must secur