Voters in Sierra Leone will go to the polls Saturday in an election widely seen as a test of the country’s hard-won peace.

The massive rallies and vitriolic political campaigns of the past months will culminate in the third democratic vote since the end in 2002 of the country’s 11-year civil war that left some 50,000 dead.

It’s the first time this small West African nation’s government has shouldered the majority of the costs of its election, which will include votes for president, parliamentarians, local council and mayors.

How it turns out “is going to be a key measure of how far Sierra Leone has come in its peace-building process,” said James Milner, an expert on peace-building and African politics at Carleton University.

Incumbent president Ernest Bai Koroma is pitted against Julius Maada Bio, a former military junta leader who won the leadership of the main opposition party last summer. Eight other parties on the ballot aren’t expected to garner many votes.

Supporters of the two parties have had skirmishes during political rallies and byelections across the country, sparking fears of further violence Saturday. Leaders from all major parties have been accused of hiring unemployed youth, many of whom are ex-combatants, to intimidate opposition members and voters.

Greg Houel, field director for the Carter Center, said the campaigns, while venomous, have remained generally peaceful with isolated incidents of violence.

“You can feel the tension increasing as the elections draw near,” he said, adding that this year’s campaign is still an improvement over previous elections.

Sierra Leone has seen development of its vast resources — diamonds, iron ore, gold and other minerals — in the past five years, with major mining and land deals bolstering government coffers and fuelling economic growth.

Koroma, a former insurance executive, has overseen deals for billions of dollars worth of foreign investment and massive infrastructure projects.

“The president has created a vast area of roads and investors are coming,” said Rashid Fofanah, who lives in the capital city, Freetown. “I know if he gains a second term, good things will happen.”

But some warn the country’s new-found wealth — and higher stakes — raise the risk of conflict by making an electoral loss all the more painful.

Koroma’s administration has been plagued by allegations of corruption, including those levelled at his vice-president, who is again Koroma’s running mate.

Some complain that while government revenues may be increasing, most Sierra Leoneans still live in abject poverty. The country remains one of the world’s poorest, ranked 180 out of 187 in the UN Human Development Index.

Koroma’s All People’s Congress Party draws most of its support from the north of the country, while Bio’s Sierra Leone People’s Party tends to be supported by the south.

The incumbent is a slight favourite to win in what is expected to be a tight electoral race that will likely go to a run-off.

Tom Tieku, a University of Toronto expert, said the election is an “extremely delicate time.”

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“If it’s organized peacefully, it can turn Sierra Leone into something else,” said Tieku. “(But) the possibility of it falling apart is really there.”

With files from Star wire services