IPNEWS: Liberians are again in long queues to vote on today Tuesday, November 14, 2023, in a run-off election between President George Weah and former Vice President Joseph Boakai after a fiercely fought first round in which neither was able to score over 50 percent of the vote to secure an outright victory.
The former football icon Weah, 57, led the first round in October, gaining 43.83 percent of the vote, and Boakai had 43.44 percent.
The 57-year-old President Weah is competing against rival former vice President Joseph N. Boakai for the second consecutive election in what is Liberia’s fourth post-war vote.
Boakai, 78, is a political veteran who from 2006 to 2018 was Vice President to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first elected female head of state.
Analysts say the thin margin of votes between them – just 7,126 votes out of almost two million votes – and the absence of a strong third candidate, means the round will also be very competitive.
The 2023 election has been a rematch of the vote in 2017 when Weah won with over 61 percent.
This is the country’s fourth post-war presidential election but the first one without the presence of the United Nations mission which previously provided support to the country’s elections commission.
Analysts say the election is a referendum on the ruling party’s stint in power so far.
Some voters have become disenchanted with Weah’s performance, particularly on corruption, high rate of youth unemployment, food inflation and general economic hardship. He fired his chief of staff and two other senior officials after the United States imposed sanctions on them for corruption.
Ruling party supporters say a new law in July 2022 granting the anticorruption commission prosecutorial power, is evidence of the administration’s fight against corruption. However, opponents point out that two of the officials sanctioned by the US in 2022 ran for parliamentary seats on the platform of the ruling party.
Weah has blamed the coronavirus pandemic and the consequences of the Russia-Ukraine war for failure to deliver on economic targets.
The removal of subsidy on rice, a major staple in the country, led to a subsequent increase in its price and opposition-led protests in December 2022. But even before then, a 2019 wage harmonization exercise reduced the salaries of government employees.
Amidst all this, Weah told his partisans at a rally Sunday, N0vember 12 to vote the future of the country by reelecting in the runoff elections on November 14.
Tuesday’s election, according to the President, is about sustained peace, development, stability, and progress, which his administration has achieved as he boasts of being reelected.
Weah said Liberians should take pride in looking back on the past six years, in the progress made wherein the country has seen many improvements in education, healthcare, infrastructure, and economic development.
Weah further highlighted specific steps taken to elevate the development bar, saying that his government took drastic steps to tackle corruption, promote foreign investment, and create job opportunities for our citizens.
“I want to assure you that, with renewed vigor, I will dedicate my efforts during the second term to accelerating the pace of implementation of existing programs and policies,” Weah indicated.
“We will also take on new initiatives that will further justify the vote of confidence being placed in us by these numerous endorsements,” he said.
President Weah also pledged to continue to listen to their concerns and aspirations and use them as compass for shaping a Liberia that truly represents the wishes and dreams of its people.
Weah rallied all Liberians to stand behind the cause of the CDC and to cast their vote for Number 2 spot on the ballot for a brighter and better Liberia, a nation of unity and strength, a nation that strives for a prosperous and harmonious future.
The Liberian Leader also took note of the plethora of endorsements of overwhelming support from various opposition parties, including not only their leaders but also their grassroots membership base.
Weah indicated that the CDC has also received endorsements from various special interest groups and other important organizations, including youths and first-time voters. “
According to him, the many endorsements are manifestations of trust and confidence in his leadership.
The CDC Strongman urged Liberians to “believe me, they have not gone unnoticed, and I do not take them for granted. I am deeply grateful for these public and open demonstrations of your unwavering support.”
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