Liberia/ Second round elections: Partial results announced
In Liberia, the vote counting continued on Wednesday, following the second round of the presidential election that pitted football legend George Weah against former Vice President Joseph Boakai. The results show a slight lead for the opposition candidate over the incumbent President George Weah.
A total of 2.4 million voters were called to choose between the incumbent President Weah, 57, seeking a second term, and Boakai, 78. Observers expected a close result, as the two candidates were neck and neck in the first round last month.
According to the chairperson of the electoral commission, Davidetta Browne Lansanah, after the counting of 1,315 out of the country’s 5,890 polling stations, Boakai has a slight advantage with 50.7% of the votes.
In the first round, Weah only led his former rival by 7,126 votes nationwide.
In 2017, George Weah easily defeated Boakai in the second round, securing over 61% of the vote.
The electoral commission has 15 days from the election to publish the final results.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which sent observers, praised the «generally peaceful conduct of the elections so far».
However, ECOWAS expressed deep concern about «provocative statements and alleged conferences planned by political actors to declare victory prematurely».
These elections are the first since the UN ended its peacekeeping mission in 2018, established after more than 250,000 people died in two civil wars in Liberia between 1989 and 2003.
Smith OKAFOR
