In Sierra Leone, the counting of votes is underway for Presidential, parliamentary and local elections. The polling took place on Saturday. According to the chief electoral commissioner, Mohamed Konneh, full results were expected within 48 hours. He said it had been one of the best election days in recent history, if not the best. Twelve men and one woman were running for president, but  President Julius Maada Bio's main challenger is Kamara of the All People's Congress. Bio narrowly beat Kamara in a runoff in 2018. <br />''<br />''Rising food prices are a key issue for many in the import-dependent West African nation of eight million people. Year-on-year inflation hit 43 percent in April, according to the latest official figures.<br />''<br />''Presidential candidates must secure 55 percent of valid votes for a first-round win. Under a recently passed gender act, one-third of all candidates must be women. A new 11.9 percent vote threshold will make it difficult for independents and minority parties to secure seats in Parliament.<br />