Liberia’s President, George Weah, has accepted defeat in the recent election to opposition leader Joseph Boakai. The race was closely contested, and Boakai emerged as the winner with 50.9% of the votes, while Weah received 49.1%. This outcome is a significant change from the 2017 election when Weah won by a large margin.
Weah’s presidency has been overshadowed by corruption allegations, and many people have become disheartened by the lack of improvements in poverty, unemployment, food security, and electricity supply. The global football legend said on national radio:
A few moments ago, I spoke with president elect Joseph Boakai to congratulate him on his victory.
I urge you to follow my example and accept the results of the elections.
Weah’s acceptance of defeat in the election sets the stage for Liberia’s second peaceful transition of power in more than 70 years. This is a significant contrast to the frequent military coups and election fraud allegations experienced in other parts of West and Central Africa.
In the capital city of Monrovia, supporters of Boakai celebrated the near-final results by dancing, shouting, and honking car horns despite the rain. Boakai told Reuters shortly after the results were announced:
We have a job ahead of us to do and I’m excited that the citizens have given us approval. First and foremost, we want to have a message of peace and reconciliation.
In the first round of voting in October, Boakai and Weah were very close in the results, but neither reached the required 50% for an outright victory. This led to a run-off election on Tuesday. Liberia has been facing challenges in recovering from two civil wars that caused significant loss of life and an Ebola epidemic between 2013 and 2016. Many people believed that Weah did not fulfil his promises to reduce poverty and improve the country’s infrastructure. A supporter of Boakai, Arkoi Sarkor, expressed hope that he would bring about positive changes and rectify past mistakes.
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