Solomon Berewa

Infobox President


name = Solomon Berewa
birth_date = birth date and age|1938|08|06
birth_place = Bumpe Chiefdom, Bo District, Sierra Leone
dead =
party = Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP)
spouse = married with five children; Annie, Solomon Jr., Edwin, Augustine, Martin, and Francis
religion =
ethnic group = Mende

Solomon Ekuma Dominic Berewa (born 6 August 1938 in Bumpe Chiefdom, Bo District, Sierra Leone) is the former Vice-President of Sierra Leone from May 2002 to September 2007. He was defeated in the second round of the 2007 presidential election by Ernest Bai Koroma of the All People's Congress (APC).Rod MacJohnson, [http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=566281 "Sierra Leone gets a new leader"] , AFP ("The Times", South Africa), September 17, 2007.] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6998687.stm "S Leone opposition win presidency"] , BBC News, 17 September 2007.] Prior to becoming Vice-President, Berewa served as the country's Attorney-General and Minister of Justice from 1996 [ [http://www.sierra-leone.org/govt5.html "President Kabbah's First Cabinet", 1996] , sierra-leone.org.] to 1997, when the government was ousted in a coup, and again, following its restoration, from 1998 to May 2002. He then became Vice-President.

At the SLPP's national convention in Makeni on September 3–4, 2005, Berewa was selected by the SLPP as its leader and its 2007 presidential candidate. He received 291 votes, while Charles Margai received 34, Julius Maada Bio received 33, and J. B. Dauda received 28. [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20070103064019/http://statehouse-sl.org/archives/september2005.html "Vice President Berewa Leads SLPP"] , statehouse-sl.org, September 6, 2005.]

In the first round of the 2007 presidential election, held on August 11, Berewa took second place with 38.3% of the vote, behind Koroma, the candidate of the opposition APC, who won 44.3%. [http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=86&art_id=nw20070823223651419C426830 "Freetown opposition party wins majority"] , Reuters ("IOL"), August 24, 2007.] [ [http://necsierraleone.org/20070823_1500_SummaryNationalProgressive.pdf Full provisional results from the National Electoral Commission] , August 23, 2007.] A second round between Berewa and Koroma was held on September 8, and on September 17 Koroma was declared the winner, with 54.6% of the vote against 45.4% for Berewa. Berewa promptly conceded defeat, [Bampia James Bundu, [http://news.sl/drwebsite/publish/article_20056516.shtml "Solomon Berewa Concedes Defeat to Ernest Bai Koroma in Sierra Leone."] , "Awareness Times", September 17, 2007.] and Koroma was sworn in later on the same day [Katrina Manson and Christo Johnson, [http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=86&art_id=nw20070917222631534C943067 "Koroma pledges healing in Sierra Leone"] , Reuters ("IOL"), September 18, 2007.] at a ceremony at which Berewa was present. [ [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/47DE9DA1-F8B2-4407-8CCD-C7EDF8E53DA5.htm "Sierra Leone's new leader sworn in"] , Al Jazeera, September 18, 2007.]

In keeping with the SLPP constitution, which requires its leader to resign if the party loses a national election under his leadership, Berewa resigned as party leader on October 17 2007. [ [http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=nw20071017221925527C395780 "Berewa steps aside after losing vote"] , AFP ("IOL"), October 18, 2007.]

References

External links

*http://www.statehouse-sl.org/seberewa.html [http://www.un.org/webcast/ga/61/pdfs/republic_sierra_leone-e.pdf 2006 address to the UN General Assembly]