John Karefa-Smart

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John Albert Musselman Karefa-Smart (born 1915 in Rotifunk, Moyamba District, Sierra Leone) is a politician from Sierra Leone and current leader of the United National People's Party. He is also an ordained Elder [1] of the United Methodist Church.


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[edit] Education

Dr John-Karefa-Smart was educated at the E.U.B. Primary School, in Rotifunk, the Albert Academy and received his B.A. from Fourah Bay College in Freetown, Sierra Leone in 1936. Four years later in 1940, he received his B.S. from Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio in 1940. From Otterbein, he went to McGill University in Montreal, where he received his M.D. and C.M. in 1944 and Diploma in Tropical Medicine in 1945. Finally, in 1948, he received his M.P.H. from Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts. Karefa-Smart has also been a fellow or professor at many colleges and universities across the world, including Bunumbu Union Teachers Training College in Sierra Leone (1936-38), University of Ibadan in Nigeria (1949-52), and several American universities such as Xavier University of Louisiana (1953), Columbia University (1964-65), Harvard University (1971-81), Boston University(1972-77), Wellesley College (1974), and Howard University (1980-83).

[edit] Political career

Karefa-Smart has had an active political career both in Sierra Leone and abroad for many years, beginning with his election to parliament in 1957. From 1957 to 1964, Karefa-Smart was a Member of Parliament for Tonkolili District. He also served as Minister of Lands, Mines, & Labor; Defense; and External Affairs. During that time period, he also served occasionally as Acting Prime Minister. From 1965 until 1970, he was Assistant Director-General of the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. In 1996, he returned to Sierra Leonean politics as a member of parliament and presidential candidate. Karefa-Smart lost the 1996 and 2002 presidential elections to current President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah.

[edit] Status as Leader of the UNPP

It was initially reported on June 12 that Karefa-Smart had stepped aside of leader of the UNPP [2], however, Karefa-Smart has recently refuted this claim and the illegal UNPP convention declared 'null and void' [3].


John Karefa-Smart is known in Sierra Leone as a politician rather than as a medical doctor — which is actually his profession. This was because he devoted most of his time to the nationalist struggle. He will be remembered for the intellectual vigour which he introduced into the politics of Sierra Leone.

[edit] Presidential Election Results

Candidate (Party) First Round
(26-27 February 1996)		 Second Round
(15 March 1996)
Number of Votes % of Votes Number of Votes % of Votes
Ahmad Tejan Kabbah (Sierra Leone People's Party) 266,893 35.8% 608,419 59.5%
John Karefa-Smart (United National People's Party) 168,666 22.6% 414,335 40.5%
Thaimu Bangura (People's Democratic Party) 119,782 16.1% - -
John Karimu (National Unity Party) 39,617 5.3% - -
Edward Turay (All People's Congress) 38,316 5.1% - -
Abu Aiah Koroma (Democratic Centre Party) 36,779 4.9% - -
Abass Bundu (People's Progressive Party) 21,557 2.9% - -
Amadu Jalloh (National Democratic Alliance) 17,335 2.3% - -
Edward Kargbo (People's National Convention) 15,798 2.1% - -
Desmond Luke (National Unity Movement) 7,918 1.1% - -
Andrew Lungay (Social Democratic Party) 5,202 0.7% - -
Andrew Turay (National People's Party) 3,925 0.5% - -
Mohamed Sillah (National Alliance Democratic Party) 3,723 0.5% - -
Total Votes 745,511 1,022,754


[discuss] – [edit]
Summary of the 14 May 2002 Sierra Leone presidential election results
Candidates - Parties Votes %
Ahmad Tejan Kabbah - Sierra Leone People's Party 70.1
Ernest Bai Koroma - All People's Congress 22.3
Johnny Paul Koroma -Peace and Liberation Party 3.0
Alimamy Pallo Bangura - Revolutionary United Front Party 1.7
John Karefa-Smart - United National People's Party 1.0
Total 100.0
Source: Sierra Leone Web

[edit] External links

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