Liberian citizens are casting their votes today in a closely watched presidential run-off election, with incumbent President George Weah and former Vice-President Joseph Boakai locked in a fierce battle for the nation’s top job.
The run-off was triggered after the first round of voting a month ago saw the two candidates separated by just over 7,000 votes.
In the initial round, President Weah narrowly secured victory but fell short of the required 50% of the vote. The election commission faced challenges, with nine temporary staff members arrested on charges of alleged ballot-tampering, adding a layer of controversy to an already tense electoral process.
The UN reported clashes between supporters of rival opposition parties during the previous round, underscoring the charged atmosphere surrounding the election.
The run-off has witnessed both candidates, Weah, 57, and Boakai, 78, striving to build political alliances with the 18 other candidates who participated in the first round, none of whom received more than 3% of the vote. Boakai, who served as Vice-President to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first elected female head of state, has secured the endorsement of three of the four best-performing candidates, according to Reuters.
Boakai’s campaign has emphasized investments in agriculture and infrastructure, while Weah has focused on improving education and addressing unemployment. This marks the second time the two contenders have faced each other in a presidential run-off; in 2017, Weah emerged victorious with 61% of the vote, leveraging his international stardom and promises to combat corruption.
Observers anticipate a high voter turnout as Liberians are described as “hungry to vote” after a contentious election season. Polls opened at 08:00 local time and will close at 18:00 local time, with the vote counting process set to begin immediately afterward.
The newly elected president will be sworn into office in January next year, marking the culmination of Liberia’s fourth presidential election since the end of the civil wars more than two decades ago, during which 250,000 lives were lost.
