spot_imgspot_img
Thursday, December 12, 2024

LIBERIA COUNTS VOTES IN PRESIDENTIAL RUNOFF AS MANY HOPE FOR CHANGE

Date:

MONROVIA, (REUTERS) – Ballot counting was underway in Liberia on Tuesday in a run-off election between President George Weah and former vice president Joseph Boakai, in what is expected to be a closely fought vote.

Former soccer star Weah, 57, who came to power in 2018 after beating Boakai, won just 7,000 more votes than career politician Boakai in the October poll. Weah failed to reach the 50% needed to secure an outright victory in October.

Turnout appeared lighter on Tuesday in Monrovia, the capital, compared with the first round of voting, a Reuters reporter said. Several polls closed on time without people still queuing to cast ballots, which was a common sight in October.

“I voted because I want to see my children come out well,” said Oretha Jallah, a mother of two selling oranges on the side of a road.

Vote counting began just after 1800 GMT at polling stations across the capital. The electoral commission will begin releasing provisional results on Wednesday.

Many voters said they were underwhelmed by Weah’s first term, which has been dogged by graft scandals and persistent poverty in Africa’s oldest independent republic.

“I am hoping for things to improve,” said Hannan Kollie, who studies sociology at the University of Liberia. “Even if George Weah is re-elected, he should do more to improve health, education and environment,” she said.

Weah has asked voters for more time to make good on his first-term promises to root out corruption and improve livelihoods. The West African nation is still suffering the fallout from two civil wars between 1989 and 2003, and the 2013-16 Ebola epidemic that killed thousands.

Boakai, 78, who lost to Weah in the 2017 election, has campaigned on the need to rescue the nation from what he calls mismanagement by Weah’s administration.

The first round of the election saw a record turnout of 79% of around 2.4 million registered voters.

Boakai said on Tuesday that it was normal for the runoff to have a lower turnout, but said Weah’s party was “panicking” and trying to stop ballots being cast, without providing details.

“We are very vigilant. We have people checking on all those things,” he told reporters.

Both Weah and Boakai have received endorsements from candidates who lost in the first round. One significant unknown is the voting preference of the 6% of people whose ballots were invalidated in the first round.

Although generally peaceful, the electoral period saw clashes between rival factions in which two people were killed. Logistical problems caused delays to voting in some rural areas.

No major incidents were reported on Tuesday, with calm and order prevailing at various voting centres, said a team of observers from the Economic Community of West African States.

The electoral commission flagged rumours about pre-marked ballots on social media and said it was “fake news” to discourage voters.

“I am happy that the place is calm, everybody is voting, there is no tension. This is democracy,” Weah told reporters after casting his ballot in the capital. “I am confident of winning.”

The vote is in many ways a test of Weah’s popularity. He has cult-like support in many areas, inspired by his rise from a Monrovia slum to international soccer stardom, but he has been unable to ease widespread poverty or stamp out corruption.

The economy grew 4.8% in 2022, driven by gold production and a relatively good harvest, but more than 80% of the population still face moderate or severe food insecurity, the World Bank said in July.

Last year, Weah fired his chief of staff and two other senior officials after the United States sanctioned them for graft.

Many hope for change.

“I want to see a better country,” said taxi driver Patrick Tokpah after casting his ballot.

“More companies, more jobs, good education. Food production. The rule of law to be enforced.”

smartnews
Smart News Liberia is an online news outlet and a product of Smart Media Group Inc. Our website, smartnewsliberia.com, covers a broad spectrum of news content. For inquiries or information, you can reach us at 0777425285 or 0886946925, or email us at smartnewsliberia@gmail.com or info@smartnewsliberia.com.

LATEST DEVELOPMENT

EMBATTLED SPEAKER KOFFA TURNS TO SUPREME COURT AGAIN, FILES BILL OF INFORMATION

MONROVIA, LIBERIA – The ongoing political crisis within Liberia's...

DR. NYAN UPDATES LIBERIANS ON MPOX, LASSA FEVER, AND ADVANCEMENTS IN PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS

MONROVIA – Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan, Director-General of the...

LIBERIA’S CORRUPTION CRISIS DEEPENS AS TRANSPARENCY INT’L’S 2024 REPORT REVEALS PERSISTENT GOVERNANCE CHALLENGES

Liberia’s ongoing battle with corruption remains a considerable challenge,...

DID THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TWEH’S LEGAL OPINION RESOLVE OR ESCALATE THE HOUSE CONFLICT?

MONROVIA, LIBERIA – The power struggle within the House...

DOES LIBERIA NEED CONSTITUTIONAL CLARITY?

The ongoing power struggle within the House of Representatives...

BOAKAI SIDESTEPS SPEAKER KOFFA: LOGICALITY OR PRECEDENT-SETTING BREACH?

President Joseph Boakai's decision to submit the 2025 draft...

A MILESTONE FOR LIBERIA’S HIGHER EDUCATION, BUT CHALLENGES REMAIN

The launch of Liberia’s first doctoral programs at the...

COMMENTARY

THE LASTING LEGACY OF PRINCE JOHNSON’S DEATH AND THE PATH FORWARD FOR LIBERIA

By Lyndon J. Ponnie, Sr. The passing of former Liberian...

PRES. BOAKAI’S LACK OF LEADERSHIP AND LIBERIA’S POLITICAL CRISIS

-A Commentary Joseph Boakai's failure to lead has once again...

THE MASS DISMISSAL OF LIBERIAN PUBLIC SERVANTS: A TROUBLING TREND UNDER THE BOAKAI ADMINISTRATION

A Commentary by Wondah L. Jah Since assuming the presidency,...

SECURITY RISKS: IS PRESIDENT BOAKAI UNKNOWINGLY SETTING THE STAGE FOR EARLY COUP D’ÉTAT?

In his commentary, Liberian political analyst Vandalerk R. Patricks...

1 COMMENT

  1. This Reuters story does not adequately reflect a sense of what is taking place in the runoff–which Weah now stands to lose decisively to Boakai, as mirrored in certified and signed results already received by both domestic and international observers. Weah’s Presidency in the nearly six months he has been in the position has been all about himself, his closes friends and his harem of girlfriends in and out of the country. While his people continue to be food insecure and jobless, he has used public coffers to build himself dozens of condominiums, bought houses in many African countries, including Ghana, Morrocco, and Ivory Coast, and living a ostentatious life. He is a tribalist and a partisan leader who has divided the population in a way no other Liberian leader has done. He has no sense of good governance and is merely concerned about what his position brings for him personally. He will go down in history, as the most corrupt and clueless leader the country has ever had. Most of his compatriots are determined and anxious to see the back of him after the runoff, and they are confident they are going to ditch him for Joe Boakai.

LATEST NEWS

Share post:

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

OPINION

LIBERIANS ARE IN AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UP AND CDC

  An Opinion By Grace RK Guar Every six...

AMERICA’S NEGLECT OF LIBERIA: A CALL FOR CHANGE

An Opinion By Bishop Dr. Rudolph Q. Kwanue, Sr A...

AMID AN UNENDING WAR AGAINST POVERTY, INJUSTICES – HAS THE PROGRESSIVE STRUGGLE BECOME LOST IN TRANSLATION?

A Patriot's Diary With Ekena Wesley What manner of Liberian progressives...

HAS PRESIDENT BOAKAI’S GOVERNMENT BEGUN BEARING GOOD FRUITS? (PART1)

By Jacob N.B. Parley Following a careful reflection, I have...

ELEVATING THE AG BIBLE COLLEGE TO A UNIVERSITY: A MILESTONE ACHIEVEMENT

By Jacob N.B. Parley After many years of successful preaching...

THE GALLERY

spot_imgspot_img

MORE ARTICLES

spot_imgspot_img

MORE NEWS

LATEST DEVELOPMENT NEWS

LATEST CRIME NEWS

Share via
Copy link