Voting has began in most polling stations across the West African nation of Sierra Leone to elect a new president to replace President Ernest Bai Korama who is ineligible to stand as per the constitution having served two terms.

 

Polls opened at 7am and over 3.1million registered voters are required to cast their votes in the same place they registered with a valid voter ID card.

 

There are already reported long queues at polling stations especially in the capital Freetown with some voters being at the polling stations since midnight.

 

This general elections is the fifth straight general election since the country returned to multi – party democracy - 1996. But the third since the country came out of a civil war in 2002.

 

The main presidential contenders are Samura Kamara of the ruling All Peoples Congress (APC) and Julius Maada Bio of the main opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP)

 

The candidate whol polls over 55% of valid votes cast wins the elections. Polls are expected to close by 5pm.