The campaign promises

In less than three weeks Sierra Leone will vote, and candidates have been making promises as campaign intensifies.

In many ways this is the most important election so far for the country struggling to shed its turbulent past.

The polls come exactly ten years since the end of the war. And popular belief is that about half of all post-conflict countries relapse into unrest within this period.

Also, as the third democratic elections and first to be organised entirely by Sierra Leoneans since the war, this will be the first ever multi tier elections – a total of four different elections to be held in one day – presidential, parliamentary, paramount chieftain and village heads.

There were concerns, therefore, over the preparedness of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) to handle such a huge task.

The international community, particularly the United Nations which have spent millions of dollars to keep intact the prevailing fragile peace process, is watching closely.

Nine people are vying for the presidency.

Analysts are expecting a runoff, in line with past experience. But incumbent President Ernest Bai Koroma and his clearly over complacent supporters would rather no mention is made of a second round.

The overall concern within the next few weeks though is the peaceful conduct of the polls.

Weak institutions and communal polarization have been identified among factors fuelling the chances for violence.

At the center of this is the impartiality or lack of it, of public institutions, notably the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation, police, military, and judiciary.

For the incumbent government, it is more like a referendum for its first five-year term which saw a mixed bag of development.

For Mr Koroma in particular, a successful and respectable insurance broker and former lawmaker, his much praised democratic credentials are under test.

He came to power in a relatively smooth regime change process, something not common in this part of the world.

His opponents have expressed misgivings over the likelihood of his replicating that.

Until a few weeks ago everything seemed well.

The ugly incident involving the convoys of the two major rivals, President Koroma and (rtd) Briogadier General Julius Maada Bio kind of accentuated a foreign side of the normally charming incumbent who took to making vitriolic comments indicating a sudden rise in political tension.

“In us they see a brighter future and in the opposition they see a broken past in which guns and bullets were the currency of exchange,” the president said at the launch of his manifesto.

Among others, he promises improvement in areas he scored high during his first term - health care, roads and electricity.

The SLPP appears to be doing good in sticking to issues rather than personality attacks.

Mr Bio promises a series of reforms, some radical, while launching his manifesto.

The former junta leader who prides himself in his and his party`s ending of the war and restoration of democracy promised to renegotiate all Mines and Minerals Acts as well as existing mining contracts.

"It is now glaringly obvious that the APC government is raping the Sierra Leone mining industry with adverse consequences for the national economy and socio-economic life in mining communities,” he said, accusing the president of presiding over poverty while he continues to “ascend the ladder” as one of the world`s richest leaders.

But even some level headed supporters are on edge over some of the choice of words.

“We expect the leaders to lead the way in peaceful campaign by setting examples, not by making rabble-rousing statements,” said one Mohamed Barry, who claims to be reconsidering his support for his favourite candidate.

“They are all the same,” added a more pessimistic voter, a commercial bike rider who believes voting for either candidate constitutes a waste of time.

The diplomatic community is no less concerned.

"We are very pleased to see the progress made so far in the run-up to the election. We are also keen to see that Sierra Leone makes a transition in a democratic manner," said US Ambassador Michael Owen, at a joint press conference with his UK counterpart.