Run-off possible in Liberia’s presidential election

The recently conducted presidential election in Liberia may head for a runoff as President George Weah and opposition leader Joseph Boakai cannot be clearly separated after the poll. Provisional results of the poll showed that Boakai has a slender lead with 43.70% of the vote, while Weah has 43.65%…

Provisional results of the recently conducted presidential election in Liberia indicated President George Weah and opposition leader Joseph Boakai were close to equal in the race as the poll looked likely to go into a run-off.

Collated data from 92.8% of polling units showed that Boakai has a slender lead with 43.70% of the vote, while Weah has 43.65%, according to the West African nation’s electoral body.

Liberia’s electoral umpire has 15 days from the election day to release the final results. A run-off election will be conducted on November 7 should neither candidate receive more than 50% of the vote.

In the 2017 election, the two men faced a second round of voting, which Weah won with 61.5% to Boakai’s 38.5%.

Last week, regional and international election observers hailed the polls as mainly calm and with a high voter turnout.

Meanwhile the regional ECOWAS bloc has called for calm as Liberians wait for the official provisional results of the keenly contested race.

The election in Liberia has again put to test the popularity of the incumbent leader, George Weah, who is a former football icon in Africa. His first tenure was marred by corruption allegations and ongoing economic difficulties.

His main opponent, Joseph Boakai has vowed to liberate Liberia from what he described as President Weah’s failed leadership.