Tension in Liberia as Voters await Final Presidential Poll Results

The final election results are due to be announced in Liberia after the poll body said it completed the nationwide ballot tallying and collation.

Voting was repeated last week in two polling stations in North-Eastern Nimba County.

This is after ballots were tampered with by unknown people during the first round of the elections on 10 October.

The agency’s Chief, Davidetta Browne-Lansanah, said the total poll outcome for Presidential, Senatorial and Local Representatives vote will be announced at the National Elections Commission (NEC) Headquarters in the Capital, Monrovia.

Provisional results show that President George Weah and his main rival Joseph Boakai are still running neck and neck, meaning they are set for a run-off.

A candidate needs more than 50% of the vote to be declared the winner.

Parallel to the presidential election, parliamentary elections were placed, with around 2.4 million individuals registered to vote.

Floods and muddy roads slowed the delivery of election materials to several distant districts in south-east Liberia.

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Some boats hauling electoral officials and equipment collapsed, resulting in the loss of election materials, however voting was extended in those locations, according to the National Elections Commission (NEC).

This is the first time that a generation of young voters, born in peace-time Liberia, voted in national elections.

Two decades ago, a horrific civil war that killed an estimated 250,000 people came to an end.

The election commission is expected to start revealing preliminary results soon, although the final announcement will be made within 15 days.

Mr. Weah, the 1995 FIFA World Player of the Year, entered politics after retiring from football.

He won his first term in 2017 after securing 61% of the vote in a run-off, defeating Mr Boakai.

Analysts believe this is the 78-year-old’s final run for the presidency.

Mr. Boakai has campaigned under the slogan “Rescue,” claiming that the West African state deteriorated under Mr. Weah’s first six years in government.

Mr. Weah has denied his assertions, claiming that he has made tremendous progress in his first term, including the implementation of free tuition for university students.