People in Sierra Leone are expected to elect a new president and members of the parliament during groundbreaking elections that would pave the way for peace and democracy after a civil war raged on for more than a decade in the African country.

The voting began on Saturday after rain hampered the delivery of bulletins and other necessary materials. Many feared that the incessant downpours would also affect the turnout at polling stations, but people were eager to cast their votes in the first elections organized by Freetown authorities since the conflict ended in 2002.

Five year ago, the United Nations helped organize the elections that gave current president Ahmad Tejan Kabbah another term. Now, seven candidates are hoping to rule the nation, among them being vice president Solomon Berewa.

Berewa is the leader of Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) and has strong opponents in Ernest Koroma (All People's Congress) and Charles Margai who registered last year his party the People's Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC).

About 2.5 million people are eligible for voting in Sierra Leone, most of them being unemployed due to the slow progress registered after the war ended. Funds from the international community kept coming into the west African country, but corruption scandals gripped the government and the economy continued to agonize.

Between 1991 and 2002 the territory was ravaged by a fierce civil war, tens of thousands being killed and about 2 million displaced by clashes between governmental troops and rebels.

The conflict ended after UN and British troops stepped in and managed to disarm and demobilize the factions that wreaked havoc among civilians for more than a decade. Elections were soon organized and Kabbah came to power for another term, but his government wasn’t able to tilt up an ailing economy and provide a suitable living standard for Sierra Leoneans.

Unemployment and lack of basic utilities in many regions could spark another bloody conflict, analysts say and that is why people decided to turn up at polling stations in high numbers and give their votes to a candidate they think is capable of offering them social and economic stability.