BRUSSELS, Aug 17 (Reuters) - The European Union urged patience on Friday in the wait for certified results in Sierra Leone's elections and called on parties to resolve any disputes peacefully.

A statement from the Portuguese EU presidency said an EU electoral observation mission considered the Aug. 11 polls "generally well administrated, peaceful and competitive".

"These elections are an important step towards the consolidation of peace and democracy in a region that until recently has suffered from violent conflicts," it said.

The statement said the European Union would follow closely a second round of presidential votes, if it were needed.

"The EU ... expresses its hopes that Sierra Leone will conclude this electoral process in peace and in respect of the democratic principles," it said.

"The EU calls on all parties and supporters to await the certified results patiently and exercise tolerance upon their announcement, and to resolve any disputes which arise according to established legal mechanisms."

The polls were the first since U.N. peacekeepers left the former British colony two years ago and are seen as a test of Sierra Leone's recovery from a 1991-2002 civil war.

Sierra Leone's main opposition party, the All People's Congress (APC), said on Wednesday it had won a parliamentary majority and vowed to mount a legal challenge if official results still trickling in showed otherwise.

The national electoral commission said that with just over a third of votes counted, APC leader Ernest Bai Koroma, was also in the lead in presidential elections held alongside the parliamentary vote, with 46 percent.

Officials have said a runoff, due to be held in September if no presidential candidate wins 55 percent, is looking likely.

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