Former footballer George Weah has defeated Joseph Boakai having secured over 60% of the votes to win Liberia’s presidential race.
With 98.1% of the run-off vote counted, Liberia’s National Elections Commission (NEC) said on Thursday that the 51-year old footballer-cum-politician had secured the presidency beyond Mr Boakai’s reach in the run-off.
During the first round that was held in October, Wear who joined politics after his retirement from football in 2002, won with 38.4% of the vote. On the second place was Mr Boakai, 73, with 28.8%. But the failure of either candidate to secure an outright majority forced the run-off.
Weah succeeds Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first elected female president who defeated him in 2005 after the end of a brutal civil war.
As news of Mr Weah’s victory emerged on Thursday, his supporters began celebrating in the capital Monrovia.
“The former football star’s campaign – under the Coalition for Democratic Change banner – appealed to the youth vote, while incumbent Vice President Mr Boakai was seen as old and out of touch” reported BBC Africa.
This will be Liberia’s first democratic handover in decades.
But Mr Weah’s election is not without controversy, as his running mate is Jewel Taylor, former wife of the warlord and ex-President Charles Taylor, who is serving a jail sentence in the UK for war crimes.
Uku ndiko Ku sankha osati muzingo sankha nkhalamba.
Congrats Mr weah
DPP woyeeeee!!
Conglants Laberian people Conglants the president.
The 50+1 vote really works things perfectly. But wonders what bewitched Malawi for rejecting the same 50+1 electoral reform bill. In 50+1 vote politics of regionalism does not work because 50+1 system treats all regions important. This is what the blues were afraid of because they know that come 2019, they can not make it again.
Khani Ili Bo Man
Khani Ili Bo Man
Congraturation mr president
Its better the old has experienc in life than these boys,as acitizen my vote shal go to peter.
Wathuwathu Peter Mponda 2019 bona…
Congrants weah for the win here in Malawi we have professor and his goverment afraid of the 50+1
Dont get fooled this can happen in Malawi. As I am typing now, someone has already made a decision on who shall he vote for in 2019 and you can’t change him. Malawian politics is not about manifesto, but district of origin. One day you will agree….
50%+1 ija ndi imeneyo. Mwina a Malawi mwazindikila tsopano, paja munkati tanthauzo lake simukulidziwa
Talankhulaniso kut boma silimaluzu,mwaona mmene 50+1imayendela?
That is best in the country
Next is our own Fischer Kondowe iguess
And Kinnah Phiri or Peter Mjojo Mponda will do it in our own way. Congrats George Weah. In fact I wanted you during your first attempt that year. All the same you are now quite experienced.
50+1
Kumeneko kuli anthu achilungamo ndi okonda dziko lawo
Anthu ayamba kuzindikira atopa nazo nkhalamba
congratulations Mr President
If God has endorsed your name nobody can stand against it,character assassination to our opponents will never change the mind of God!
Its really good to have a youthful leader than these short sighted magogo ogwa mkuminawa.
My fellow malawians thats it! It has happen in Liberia, so why not in Malawi?. Asatiphimbe mmaso “abakha” awa.
He deserve it at 51yrs of age, not 81yrs. I like this at my youthful age to be ruled by a youthful leader. Ndiye wina azilota zoti Boma sililuza, WATCH OUT!!! Enanu mudzidziwombera ngati Amalemu posakhulupilira kuti zachitika. Ine kudzavotera President WOKALAMBA ayi, regardless any political affiliation. Congrants WEAH, Congrants my fellow Liberian Youth.