Liberia - President Weah Takes Lead in Polls As Election Data Shifts

13 October 2023
Liberian Observer (Monrovia)
By Tina S. Mehnpaine

... Weah, a former international soccer star turned politician, had initially trailed behind Boakai, the former Vice President of Liberia, in the early hours following the October 10 polls.

President George Weah has surged ahead in the latest poll results for the Liberian presidency, just two days after former Vice President Joseph Boakai took an early lead.

According to data released by the National Elections Commission, Weah currently holds a lead with 216,344 votes, representing 44.56% of the total, while Boakai closely trails with 207,217 votes, equivalent to 42.69% of the ballots. Boakai is contesting on the opposition Unity Party (UP) ticket, while Weah is on the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC).

Weah, a former international soccer star turned politician, had initially trailed behind Boakai, the former Vice President of Liberia, in the early hours following the October 10 polls.

However, the latest data suggests a momentum shift toward Weah's favor, keeping the nation on the edge of its seat as the race for the presidency continues to intensify. The updated vote tallies are derived from 1,527 of the 5,890 polling places, which represent 25.93% of the total polling places across the country.

The closeness of the race, analysts say, reflects Liberians' desire for change and the need for economic stability in Liberia. Both Weah and Boakai have presented different visions for the country's future, and the election results so far underscore the intense interest and investment of the Liberian people in their political destiny.

Analysts noted that for Boakai or Weah to win the presidency, Montserrado, the nation's most populated county, must be firmly in the grasp of one of them, as well as a strong performance in at least two of the other top five vote-rich counties, namely Nimba, Bong, Margibi, and Lofa.

If neither of the two frontrunners secures less than 50 percent of the vote in the first round, a runoff will be held on November 7. The NEC has 15 days from the day the vote was cast to announce the election results. This means that the final result of the election will be known by October 25 or even sooner.

The October 10 polls have been billed as a referendum on the incumbent candidate, Weah, who rode to victory with high hopes in 2017, marking a historic moment as Liberia's first democratically elected leader since 1944.

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