Liberia's election set for run-off in tightest race since end of civil war
Liberia is headed for a run-off election with incumbent President George Weah, a former soccer star who has been in power since 2018, running neck and neck with main opponent Joseph Boakai.
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Weah won 43.8 percent of the 10 October first-round vote, with Boakai at 43.4 percent, according to the National Elections Commission.
None of the other 18 presidential candidates received more than three percent.
The run-off must take place within 15 days of the election, but experts say there might be delay because of potential appeals.
The election was the first to be fully organised by Liberia, without financial support from international partners, since the end of the country's 14-year civil war in 2003.
Fierce contest
The run-off promises to be a close contest hotly contested between the long-standing adversaries, who faced each other in 2017, according to political analysts, with worry over risk of violence in the second round.
The West African bloc Ecowas warned against any premature declaration of victory, and said it would crack down on any instigators of violence.
The president of the National Election Coordination Committee, Oscar Bloh, said security forces face many challenges.
"Firstly there's the challenge of manpower... they have to monitor all the polling stations, but the means are lacking, and they have not been able to control the crowds in the polling stations," Bloh told RFI.
"Voters are eager to vote. Because these elections are crucial due to significant social inequalities that persist in Liberia."
Opposing figures
Weah, 57, was first elected six years ago after beating Boakai in a run-off. He is popular among many young people.
Some, however, are disappointed with his first term, accusing him of breaking his promises.
Living conditions have not improved for many of the nation's poorest, and corruption has risen.
"His rise to power was a revolt against the establishment, and he did well in education. Then there was this external shock, the Covid-19 pandemic," political scientist Abdullah Kiatamba told RFI.
"Several factors then led to mass revolts against his rule. Liberians felt that George Weah betrayed them."
Boakai, 78, was vice president from 2006 to 2018, and has been a key figure in Liberia's politics for almost four decades.
He has promised to restore the country's image, develop infrastructure and improve the lives of the most disadvantaged.
He has forged alliances with local figures, including former warlord and senator Prince Johnson, who supported Weah in the last election and remains influential in the key county of Nimba.
Boakai largely dominated the county this year, as well as Lofa county, where he comes from.
High turnout
Liberians turned out en masse to vote in the election's first round, with no major incidents.
During the campaign, however, clashes between supporters of the ruling party and opposition supporters led to several deaths, notably in Lofa county, raising fears of post-election violence.
International observers, present in large numbers for the polls, have congratulated the electoral commission on the smooth conduct of the first round.
The vote in the nation of 5.5 million is seen by many as a test for the future of representative government in West Africa, as the region has been rife with coups, postponed elections, presidents clinging to office, and polls tainted by irregularities.
(with newswires)
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