.... As NEC tallies 99.93% of votes with no clear winner in sight
President George Weah is expected to face former Vice President Joseph Boakai in a runoff election, as neither he nor his rival managed to secure the constitutional requirement of 50.1% to win the October 10 polls.
While the National Elections Commission is yet to officially declare a runoff, results from 99.9% of the county's 5,890 polling places counted so far, show that the two frontrunners remain locked in a neck-and-neck battle for the Presidency as it has been since election results were first announced on October 11 -- swapping positions atop the leaderboard in the process.
As of Oct. 18, the former football legend turned President has accumulated a total of 803,674 votes, constituting 43.84% of the ballots counted. Hot on his heels is Boakai, a seasoned politician who closely follows with 796,313 votes, making up 43.44% of the total count.
The vote difference, however, stands at a mere 7,361 votes, which is just 0.40%. The see-sawing nature of the race had previously kept the entire country captivated, producing one of the slimmest margins in post-war Liberian history. With neither candidate able to secure the necessary 50% plus one vote to claim an outright victory, the country is now headed for a runoff election.
Liberia had gone to the polls on October 10, with registered voters of 2.4 million and with a little over 1.9 million votes tallied so far. Both frontrunners have fallen short of the pledge to win the elections in the first round, as invalid votes total 114,597, constituting 6.26%.
According to analysts, the failure of Boakai or Weah to have significantly dominated Montserrado County, which has the national largest share of votes around one million, is the main reason for their seesaw battle and the runoff, which is scheduled for a date yet to be determined by the electoral body.
In the interim, both candidates and their respective political parties are gearing up for an intense and rigorous campaign, which would be very short, as the runoff election is expected to take place on November 7.
The runoff election would be more than a battle of ideas and policies. It is expected that both Weah and Boakai will intensify their efforts to win over the support of the remaining candidates from the first round, in an attempt to build broad-based coalitions and gain an edge.
As it stands, Boakai has won Nimba, Lofa, Margibi, Montserrado, Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, and Gbarpolu counties, while Weah has won Bong, Grand Bassa, Rivercess, Sinoe, Grand Gedeh, Rivergee, Grand Kru, and Maryland counties.
Meanwhile, Edward W. Appleton of the Grassroots Development Movement, a relatively new political party, makes up the top three, with a vote of 40,255, constituting 2.20%. Appleton's share of votes surpasses that of other contenders, including Alexander Cummings, Cllr. Taiwan Gongloe, and Dr. Clarence Moniba, all of whom were initially expected to perform far better in the elections.
Lusinee Kamara ranked four with 35,977 votes, constituting 1.96% of the total vote, while Cummings took fifth place, with around 29,611 votes, constituting 1.62%. Gongloe came sixth, with around 26,225 votes, which is 1.43%.
These candidates, even though their share of votes may be small, according to analysts, significantly chipped away voters from both Weah and Boakai, narrowing each man's chances of an outright victory in the first round of voting. Now, during the runoff, every vote counts, and every candidate might have a chip to bargain.
The upcoming runoff is a rematch of the 2017 presidential election, in which Weah, then an opposition candidate, emerged victorious, winning 14 of the 15 counties of Liberia.
The President, who has been in office since January 2018 and is running for re-election on a platform that highlights his achievements during his first term, including infrastructure development and economic reform, has emphasized his commitment to continue these policies and bring further prosperity to Liberia.
On the other hand, Boakai, who served as Vice President under former President Sirleaf, is presenting himself as an experienced statesman capable of addressing the nation's needs in a different way. His campaign has focused on issues such as healthcare, education, and social welfare.
Elsewhere, the Chairperson of the National Elections Commission has disclosed that police in Grand Cape Mount County have arrested four temporary polling staff for electoral malpractices.
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"With respect to updates on temporary staff who were allegedly involved in vote tampering, they have been handed over to the election magistrate of Grand Cape Mount and turned over to the Police," Davidetta Browne-Lansanah said.
According to Lansanah, the police investigation report into the allegation is ongoing, and she assured all political parties, candidates, and stakeholders that the attempted malpractices were corrected.
Lansanah also disclosed that the electoral body has identified temporary staff who were allegedly involved in electoral malpractices in the Montserrado county tally.
"Like those in Grand Cape Mount County, these temporary staff are in police custody pending the conclusion of the police investigation and arraignment before a court," she added. "They in no way affect the outcome of the elections in those places. It must also be noted that the individuals involved in these acts will no longer work for the National Elections Commission."
