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Liberia’s National Elections Commission has begun finalizing the results of Tuesday’s presidential and legislative polls. The results are expected to be announced soon.
The election was the first to be held since the United Nations ended its peacekeeping mission in Liberia in 2018. Despite some clashes ahead of the vote, both local and regional election observers say polling was peaceful and voter turnout was high. Football legend, George Weah, is hoping to win a second term in office. A few political analysts believe that he will likely have to face a second round against his main rival from the 2017 election, Joseph Boakai.
George Weash came into power triggering exalted hopes among the electorate that he would present a clean and forward-looking administration. However, his six years in office have been marred by corruption allegations and ongoing economic hardship.
Joseph Boakai, his arch-rival, has campaigned on promises to rescue Liberia from what he described as Weah’s failed leadership. Some 2,4 million people were eligible to vote in the polls. The country is still struggling to emerge from two civil wars that killed over 250,000 people between 1989 and 2003. The election commission is expected to announce the first results soon with final results due within 15 days.
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The presidential and legislative elections in the West African country passed off peacefully, except for the killing of three people last month in clashes between their supporters has fuelled fears of a return to violence. Scuffles also broke out just before the election as Weah held his final campaign rally, leaving several injured. The European Union, the African Union, the West African bloc ECOWAS, and the United States have deployed observers, in a region hit by a string of recent coups.
