Liberians select new leader in delayed presidential vote
MONROVIA — Liberians began voting yesterday to select either former international footballer George Weah or Vice President Joseph Boakai as their new president, in a vote that analysts say is too close to call.
Polling stations opened at 8:00 am (0800 GMT) for the West African nation's 2.1 million voters, and are expected to close at 6:00 pm (1800 GMT).
They will choose a successor to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who is stepping down after serving 12 years as Africa's first elected female leader.
The vote comes after seven weeks of delays caused by legal challenges against the electoral commission lodged by Boakai's party. Results are expected in the next few days, according to the electoral commission.
Reports from early voters suggested that problems with queue control and voting ID encountered in the October 10 first round and the subject of a bitter legal battle waged by Boakai had been addressed for the run-off.
In the first round of voting on October 10, Weah topped the poll with 38.4 percent while Boakai came second with 28.8 percent, triggering a run-off as neither made it past the 50 percent needed to win outright.
As Liberia's most famous son, Weah attracts huge crowds and has a faithful youth following in a country where a fifth of the electorate is aged 18 to 22, but he is criticized for his long absences from the Senate, where he has served since 2014.
Boakai meanwhile is seen as a continuity candidate and has won praise for his public service stretching back four decades, when many elites fled Liberia for the United States. He said Sunday he was "very, very confident" of winning, telling AFP: "Victory is mine."