Liberian football big name faces vice-president in runoff election

Liberian football big name faces vice-president in runoff election

Liberians have covered up at polling stations across the u . s . a . for a runoff election between a former worldwide football superstar and the vice-president. The winner will replace Africa’s first woman head of state.

For the primary time in more than 70 years, the west African state based through freed American slaves will see one democratically elected government hand strength to every other.

almost 2.2 million citizens will choose among George Weah, a 51-12 months-vintage former AC Milan striker who’s now a senator, and 73-yr-antique Joseph Boakai, who has been vice-president for 12 years.

The Nobel peace prize winner Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, seventy nine, is stepping down after phrases in office that added the impoverished united states out of returned-to-again civil wars. She additionally led the us of a as it grappled with a lethal Ebola outbreak.

The runoff has been behind schedule twice after being contested in courtroom amid claims of irregularities, with its unique 7 November date positioned again.

excessive numbers turned out to vote within the first spherical on 10 October, and officers hope for the identical on Tuesday. The country wide Elections commission (NEC) stated voter lists have been wiped clean up in line with orders from the perfect court. They were published in any respect 5,390 polling stations.

Many people showed up before the solar rose. within the New Georgia township west of the capital, Monrovia, electorate used flashlights to check for their names.

“We want a leader who will circulate the us of a ahead, not backward,” said 32-year-vintage Samuka Donzo, who sat in line in a school room chair. “Liberia is just too hard now; we need a pacesetter who will make matters less expensive so that we don’t ought to continue to rely upon neighbouring countries for simple commodities.

A fish supplier, Siami Morris, additionally arrived early. “This election is vital because we want any individual who will nicely guy this united states,” she stated. “this is why while the process turned into being delayed with people going to courtroom and coming again, it changed into to me like a piece of struggle.”

that is Liberia’s first independently run election for the reason that quit of its civil wars. The UN has helped to oversee past votes.

On Monday, the NEC spokesman Henry Flomo stated it became “fully organized” for the election. “We only hope that Liberians will turn out,” he stated.