Liberia: NEC Gives Verdict Out Today

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(File photo).
24 October 2023
The New Dawn (Monrovia)
By Naneka a. Hoffman

The National Elections Commission (NEC) says final nationwide results for the presidential, senatorial and representative elections will be announced today, Tuesday, 24 October 2023.

During a regular press briefing Monday, 23 October 2023 in Monrovia, Davidetta Browne-Lansanah, also disclosed that election results from Nimba County Electoral District #4, Beo Lontuo will be announced.

Votes in the district were re-run after ballot boxes were stolen during the first round of the elections held on 10 October 2023.

Nationwide final results could not be announced due to the absence of results from Nimba County Electoral District #4.

She added that these announcements will be made at the Commission's press briefing at the NEC Headquarters on 9th & 10th Street at 4:30pm.

The NEC boss stated that tally has been completed following the re-run of elections in Nimba County District #4.

She continued that the collation of the results is ongoing at NEC Headquarters.

As final results are due today, there is looming uncertainty that any of Liberia's two political archrivals -incumbent President George Manneh Weah and opposition Amb. Joseph Nyumah Boakai would win a first-round victory as they projected.

Both men are sharing close percentages from the total votes counted earlier, and a re-run ordered by the NEC last week in Nimba County does not show prospects of preventing a run-off.

On 18 October 2023, NEC Madam Browne-Lansanah said President Weah had obtained 803,674 votes or 43.84%, while Mr. Boakai obtained 796,313 votes or 43.44%.

A presidential candidate must obtain 50 percent plus one of the total valid votes to be declared a winner.

Should the NEC declare a run-off today, it would be the second time Mr. Weah and his ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and Amb. Boakai of the former ruling Unity Party (UP) faceoff in a presidential run-off.

Both men battled in a 2017 run-off when Mr. Weah was an opposition. Boakai, whose party's loyalty was divided in factions between him and his former boss, then President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, lost the polls.

20 presidential candidates contested in the October 2023 polls. The National Presidential tally report released last week placed Mr. Weah in a narrow lead with a margin of 7,361 votes.

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