Liberia’s president admits election defeat in razor-sharp vote

Liberia’s President George Weah conceded defeat on Friday evening in his bid for a second term, following a tight runoff against Joseph Boakai, a 78-year-old political veteran, in elections seen as a test for democracy in the West African country. nation.

Mr Boakai, who served as vice president for 12 years under former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, defeated Mr Weah, a 57-year-old former football star, by a razor-thin margin.

The country’s National Election Commission stopped short of declaring a winner on Friday afternoon, but announced that with more than 99 percent of votes counted, Mr. Boakai had 50.89 percent of the vote, and Mr. Weah had 49.11 percent. It was the most exciting election in the country in twenty years.

Mr Weah said in a radio address late on Friday evening that although his party had lost the election, “Liberia has won.”

“This is a time for grace in defeat, a time to put our country above party, and patriotism above personal interest,” he said.

It is the first time since the early 20th century that a sitting president of Liberia has not been re-elected after one term. The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for January.

The election in Liberia, first held on October 10 Tuesday’s second round was the first managed solely by Liberian authorities without international funding or aid since the country emerged from a ruinous civil war in 2003.

The presidential campaign revolved around allegations that Mr Weah tolerated corruption in government circles and failed to create jobs and development despite the country’s economic recovery from the pandemic.

The vote was largely peaceful, after some isolated incidents of violence, at a time when many other West African countries are struggling with a wave of coupsaging leaders clinging to power and elections plagued by allegations of electoral fraud.

In Nigeria and in Sierra Leoneindependent observers have cast doubt on the results of this year’s presidential elections. In Niger And GuineaJuntas rule despite international efforts to do so restore civilian governmentS.

One voter in the capital, Monrovia, said he voted for Mr Boakai because of his promise to tackle drug abuse and corruption.

“It is unthinkable that you see young people becoming addicted to drugs, and the president has no idea how to tackle this,” said 45-year-old voter, MacPherson Darweh.

Mr Weah “has no sense of belonging and does not even know how the country is governed and governed,” Mr Darweh said. “He still thinks he’s a football player running around town.”

Liberia, a country of 5.5 million people, declared independence in the 19th century – a century earlier than most African countries – with a democratic political system modeled on that of the United States.

But the country was wracked by civil wars from 1989 to 2003, killing about 250,000 people.

The Ebola epidemic between 2013 and 2016 also killed thousands of people, leaving the country in a precarious state and prompting the United Nations to take over the organization of the country’s elections – until this year.

According to the World Bank, Liberia’s economy will grow by 4.8 percent in 2022, mainly thanks to mining and a relatively good agricultural harvest. But more than 80 percent of the population is food insecure. the World Bank said in Julyand the prices of basic food items and fuel are skyrocketed in the past yearwith more than half of Liberians live below the poverty linefor $1.90 per day.

A team of observers from the Economic Community of West African States on Wednesday congratulated Liberians on “the generally peaceful conduct of the elections to date.” The European Union has said that in a statement Tuesday’s second round was “calm” and “well organised” and there were “organizational improvements” compared to the first round.

Police officers in riot gear patrolled the streets of Monrovia, the Liberian capital, as the election continued, with poll workers counting ballots with lamps and flashlights late into the night due to power outages that have become common in the country.

Mr Weah and Mr Boakai had finished almost neck and neck in the first round of elections, with neither crossing the 50 percent threshold needed to be declared the outright winner. Mr Weah had a narrow lead, with just over 7,000 votes.

A political veteran in Liberia, Mr. Boakai was agriculture minister in the 1980s and director of the state-owned Liberian oil refinery in 1992, as the civil war raged. Although he was not involved in any corruption scandals, as vice president he was accused by his critics of turning a blind eye to corruption within the government.

In this year’s election, he appeared to gain traction by portraying himself as a safe pair of hands to steer the country in a new direction. He focused on grievances over Mr Weah’s rule, criticizing his opponent for his lavish lifestyle and for being out of touch with Liberian society.

But Mr. Boakai’s opponents focused on his nearly 80 years and nicknamed him “Sleepy Joe,” accusing him of taking a nap at a public event.

The election was a repeat of the 2017 vote, when Mr Weah defeated Mr Boakai by a relatively large margin, taking advantage of his status as a sports superstar and political outsider who claimed he could improve the lives of ordinary Liberians.

Last time, Mr Weah’s story of his rise to the top of world football after growing up in a Liberian slum had resonated with young people in a country where 60 percent of the population is under 25.

But his image as an advocate for the poor collapsed under the weight of corruption scandals, the failure to tackle the drug crisis and the rising cost of living. Under his government, Liberia has fallen twenty places a corruption index compiled by Transparency Internationalal, ranked 142nd out of 180 countries last year.

Last year, the US Treasury Department sanctions imposed on three Liberian officials, including Mr. Weah’s chief of staff, Nathaniel McGill. An investigation promised by Mr Weah has yet to materialise.