It took some persuasions from U.S. ambassador Donald Booth and some notable world leaders, but it's only a matter of time before George Weah finally throws in the towel and concede to his run-off rival, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. FrontPageAfrica has learned that an announcement from the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) standard bearer may come as early as Monday or prior to the announcement of the final official tally by the NEC on Tuesday.

Johnson-Sirleaf, his rival and Unity Party standard bearer is on her way to becoming the first woman head of state on the African continent.

On Sunday, the former Finance Minister, told the Associated Press she was confident the electoral results in her favor would be certified soon despite her soccer star opponent's allegations that the vote was fraudulent. Weah reportedly held a four-hour meeting with the U.S. envoy in Monrovia on Saturday, who pressured the CDC leader to give in.

Johnson-Sirleaf called on Weah to concede defeat as results from last week's heated presidential runoff gave her an unbeatable lead with more than 99 percent of the vote counted.

'Iron Lady' Confident

"I'm very confident," Johnson-Sirleaf told Associated Press Television News after attending church Sunday morning in the capital, Monrovia. "We'll just wait for the National Elections Commission and wait for God's will."

Johnson-Sirleaf had 59.6 percent of the vote, compared with Weah's 40.4 percent, with 99.3 percent of the ballots counted, the National Elections Commission said.

Ballot boxes from the last 20 of the war-ravaged country's 3,070 polling stations were to be collected by the end of Saturday, commission chairwoman Frances Johnson-Morris said Saturday.

On Saturday, CDC demanded a rerun of the run-off elections, charging that the polls showing their standard bearer had lost were stuffed prior to the elections. The football legend's supporters took to the street on Friday to protest the results. National Elections Commission chair Frances Johnson Morris told reporters in Monrovia on Saturday that the final results representing returns from the last 20 polling stations will be announced on Tuesday. Among the stations remaining are 17 stations in Grand Kru County, one in Lofa and two outstanding stations in Montserrado.

Teahjay: Process Unfair

Johnson-Morris also revealed that ballot boxes at two polling places have been quarantine, because they were not sealed prior to polling. She named the CDB King polling station in Montserrado County and the Samuel P. Kun station in Grand Kru as those subject to investigation. At the Samuel P. Kun station, commissioner Johnson-Morris said differences were found in the reconciliation of the votes. NEC plans to review results of these two station by Monday.

Weah's senior political advisor Milton Teahjay said Saturday: "The process was unfair. There is a difference between free and fair elections." "We are asking for a rerun of the election," he said.

The CDC insists that Tuesday's election was marred by serious irregularities including doctored ballot papers, a charge that has been debunked by international observers which have given the election results a clean bill of health.

Weah's CDC has filed an application to the country's Supreme Court to try to stop the counting process, now in its final stages, but the court told Weah's campaign team it could not consider the complaint until the National Elections Commission (NEC) had investigated it.

Alan Doss, head of the 15,000-strong U.N. peace mission in Liberia, spoke to Weah about Friday's trouble, UNMIL said in a statement.

"UNMIL reiterates that it will deal firmly and decisively with any attempts, by any persons, who would seek to use violence to derail the elections process or to undermine peace or public order," it added.

Weah's Congress for Democratic Change headquarters was deserted by the thousands of supporters who heard his appeals for calm on Friday and then hit the streets of Monrovia for a largely peaceful march to protest alleged fraud in Tuesday's run-off.

Complaints received

Meanwhile, the International Contact Group on Liberia (ICGL) has met and discussed the complaint about the alleged fraud in the presidential run-off election of 8 November 2005.

In a statement issued late Friday, the ICGL says it has been advised that a formal hearing, under the auspices of the National Elections Commission (NEC), will be held next week.

The CDC in a formal complaint to the ICGL alleged fraud in the presidential run-off election of 8 November.

The ICGL says it remains supportive of an open and transparent process, in accordance with the Election Guidelines.

The ICGL encourages all concerned to continue to follow due process, exercise patience and remain peaceful and calm during the entire election process.

The UN Security Council's President for November, Ambassador Andrey I. Denisov of the Russian Federation said members of the Council welcomed the peaceful and orderly conduct of the elections and commended all Liberians attending the polls.

The members emphasized that the completion of free and fair presidential elections will be "a key step forward towards restoring the normal State functions of Liberia and will pave the way for the return of Liberian refugees to their homeland."