Liberia is heading for a rematch of the 2017 presidential runoff with a duel between incumbent George Weah and opponent Joseph Boakai neck-and-neck, according to provisional results based on more than 90 percent of the vote. votes.
Mr. Weah, a former football star elected for the first time in 2017, obtained 43.79% of the votes and slightly ahead of Mr. Boakai, who collected 43.49%, according to the latest results given Tuesday by the Electoral Commission which take into account the count of more than 98% of polling stations. None of the other 18 candidates obtained 3% of the votes.
In view of the figures published by the Commission, neither Mr. Weah nor Mr. Boakai, former vice-president from 2006 to 2018, can no longer gather the number of votes necessary to achieve an absolute majority and be elected in the first round. A second round is planned two weeks after the announcement of the official results. It could theoretically take place at the beginning of November, but risks being held later due to possible appeals.
Elected for the first time in 2017 against Mr. Boakai in the second round, Mr. Weah enjoys great popularity among young people, but he has also disappointed many. Many accuse him of not having kept his promises. The living conditions of the poorest have not improved and corruption has increased. Five senior Liberian officials have been sanctioned by Washington in three years.
Close second round
Mr. Boakai, former vice-president from 2006 to 2018, has been a key figure in national politics for nearly four decades. He promises to restore the country’s image, develop infrastructure and improve the lives of the most deprived. He has forged alliances with local barons, including former warlord and senator Prince Johnson, who supported Mr. Weah six years ago and remains influential in the key northern province of Nimba. Mr. Boakai largely dominated the outgoing president in this province and in the Lofa region, where he comes from.
The second round promises to be tight between these long-time adversaries. The score of the first round suggests a very competitive campaign, while the peaceful and regular progress of the process is a major issue. According to Abdullah Kiatamba, an independent expert, whoever comes first in the first round will have the advantage of better dynamics. The analyst warns of the risk of violence in the second round with two political parties determined to win the election. “Their passion will be strong”he told AFP.
Clashes between the ruling party and opponents during the campaign left several dead, particularly in the province of Lofa, and raised fears of post-election violence. However, international observers, present in large numbers, congratulated the Electoral Commission for the smooth running of the first round, on October 10, which took place without major incident while Liberians turned out massively to the polls.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), however, warned against any premature proclamation of victory, and warned that it would crack down on instigators of violence.
This election is the first organized without the presence of the United Nations mission in Liberia, created in 2003 to guarantee peace after the civil wars which left more than 250,000 dead between 1989 and 2003 and whose memory remains vivid.