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Liberia’s presidential election may turn out to be a keenly fought one. Nineteen candidates are in the fray to replace President George Weah, who is seeking a second term. Some people predict that it might go into a run-off like in the last election. If that happens, three candidates stand out as possible rivals.
Liberia’s presidential election may turn out to be a keenly fought one. Nineteen candidates are in the fray to replace President George Weah, who is seeking a second term. Some people predict that it might go into a run-off like in the last election. If that happens, three candidates stand out as possible rivals. Weah is a former international football star who in 2017 won more than 61 percent in the second round. His election victory then sparked high hopes of change in Liberia, which has been reeling from civil war and disease.
The losing candidate in the final round of voting in 2017, Joseph Boakai looks to be on his last bid for the presidency at the age of 78. He has served the state for four decades. Boakai is from the indigenous population, like George Weah, and calls himself an ordinary, honest man from a modest background who had to work hard. He says integrity has marked his long career which has included criticism of the Weah administration’s links to several corruption scandals. He is running on a platform to improve infrastructure, invest in agriculture, attract investors, open up Liberia to tourists, and restore the nation’s image. He also served as Vice president to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf from 2006 to 2018 and that way has years of experience. But his detractors call him a sleepy Joe, basing his past performance as an agriculture minister.
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The third presidential aspirant, Alexander Cummings, 66, has presented himself as a good manager with skills and knowledge from a long career in business that his rivals do not have. His work especially in the senior ranks of Coca Cola helped build a fortune that has enabled him to finance development projects at home. In 2017, he came 5th, with just 7.2 percent of the vote. There are political analysts who feel that the present incumbent George Weah may finally emerge as the winner despite his lackluster performance in the first term.
