Solomon Berewa

Solomon Ekuma Dominic Berewa
Vice President of Sierra Leone
In office 2002 – September 17, 2007
Preceded by	Albert Joe Demby
Succeeded by	Samuel Sam-Sumana
Leader of the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP)
In office September 4, 2005 – September 17, 2007
Preceded by	Ahmed Tejan Kabbah
Succeeded by	John Oponjo Benjamin
Attorney general and Minister of Justice of Sierra Leone
In office 1996–2002
Succeeded by	Fredrick Max Carew
Personal details
Born	August 6, 1938 Bumpe Chiefdom, Bo District, Sierra Leone
Nationality	Sierra Leonean
Political party	Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP)
Spouse(s)	widowed with five children; Annie, Solomon Jr., Edwin, Augustine, Martin, and Francis
Alma mater	Fourah Bay College freetown, Sierra Leone Newcastle University Newcastle, England
Profession	Lawyer
Religion	Christianity

Solomon Ekuma Dominic Berewa (born 6 August 1938 in Bumpe Chiefdom, Bo District, Sierra Leone) was 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).^[1][2]

Under President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, Berewa was Attorney-General and Minister of Justice from 1996^[3] to 1997, when the government was ousted in a coup. After Kabbah was restored to power, Berewa was Attorney-General and Minister of Justice again 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.^[4]

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%.^[5][6] 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.^[1][2] Berewa promptly conceded defeat,^[7] and Koroma was sworn in later on the same day^[8] at a ceremony at which Berewa was present.^[9]

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.^[10]

References

• http://www.africa-confidential.com/whos-who-profile/id/515/

1. Rod MacJohnson, "Sierra Leone gets a new leader", AFP (The Times, South Africa), September 17, 2007.
2. "S Leone opposition win presidency", BBC News, 17 September 2007.
3. "President Kabbah's First Cabinet", 1996, sierra-leone.org.
4. "Vice President Berewa Leads SLPP" at the Wayback Machine (archived January 3, 2007), statehouse-sl.org, September 6, 2005.
5. "Freetown opposition party wins majority", Reuters (IOL), August 24, 2007.
6. Full provisional results from the National Electoral Commission, August 23, 2007.
7. Bampia James Bundu, "Solomon Berewa Concedes Defeat to Ernest Bai Koroma in Sierra Leone.", Awareness Times, September 17, 2007.
8. Katrina Manson and Christo Johnson, "Koroma pledges healing in Sierra Leone", Reuters (IOL), September 18, 2007.
9. "Sierra Leone's new leader sworn in", Al Jazeera, September 18, 2007.
10. "Berewa steps aside after losing vote", AFP (IOL), October 18, 2007.

External links

• http://www.statehouse-sl.org/seberewa.html 2006 address to the UN General Assembly

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