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S Leone opposition maintains lead S Leone opposition 'set for win'
(2 days later)
Opposition leader Ernest Bai Koroma is still ahead in the race to become Sierra Leone's next president.Opposition leader Ernest Bai Koroma is still ahead in the race to become Sierra Leone's next president.
With nearly half the vote now counted from Saturday's run-off, Mr Koroma has some 60% and his rival, Vice-President Solomon Berewa, has about 40%. With three-quarters of the votes from Saturday's run-off counted, Mr Koroma has some 60%, while Vice-President Solomon Berewa has about 40%.
However, the results come so far from more urban areas where the opposition have their strongest support. Foreign observers said the poll was generally calm and orderly, although some irregularities had been reported.
The national electoral commission has appealed for all sides to be patient and stay calm. The National Election Commission said some polling stations had recorded turnouts of 100% or more.
The NEC has been widely praised for its "fair and transparent" conduct of the election. And police were detaining about 20 people for voting offences, AFP news agency reported.
But the BBC's West Africa correspondent Will Ross says that Sierra Leone's electoral commission also has to double up as a detective agency. Invalid results
Before reading the latest set of results, NEC head Christiana Thorpe made it clear that attempts at rigging were being found out and would not be tolerated: The NEC has been widely praised for the "fair and transparent" conduct of the election, where overall turnout was about 73%.
"It is with regret that we report that so far across the country, some polling stations result forms report a higher number of votes cast than registered voters." But the BBC's West Africa correspondent Will Ross says the NEC has to double up as a detective agency.
Authorities have been praised for their running of the pollsAuthorities have been praised for their running of the polls
International observers, including teams from the European Union and the National Democratic Institute, had asked the NEC to investigate some 14 polling stations where a turnout of 100% - or even more - had been reported. International observers, including teams from the European Union and the National Democratic Institute, had asked the NEC to investigate some 14 polling stations with unusually high turnouts.
In all there were more than 6,000 polling stations - with an average turnout of 73%. Christiana Thorpe, head of the commission, confirmed there had been cases of polling stations with a turnout of 100% or more.
And a local monitoring body, National Election Watch (NEW), reported some cases of ballot-stuffing and other incidents - all of which the NEC has to investigate. "In cases of voter turnout exceeding 100%, the station results shall be automatically invalidated," she told AFP.
A local monitoring body, National Election Watch (NEW), reported some cases of ballot-stuffing and other incidents.
And Ms Thorpe said the commission officials had been subjected to intimidation and threats.
No further results from the country's 6,157 polling stations are expected until Monday, while the commission investigates claims of foul play.
This was Sierra Leone's first election since the withdrawal of UN peacekeepers. A particularly brutal civil war ended in 2002.This was Sierra Leone's first election since the withdrawal of UN peacekeepers. A particularly brutal civil war ended in 2002.
Foreign election observers praised the absence of violence during voting. Our correspondent says whoever the new president is, he will have the task of uniting a country which to some extent has been divided anew by such a closely-fought election.
But as our reporter points out - whoever wins, the new president will have the task of uniting a country which to some extent has been divided anew by such a closely-fought election.