Liberians head to polls in tightly contested presidential run-off between football legend and ex-VP

Liberians headed to the polls this Tuesday (14 November) to cast their vote in a presidential run-off after the two leading candidates — George Weah, a former footballer and incumbent president and political veteran Joseph Boakai — came neck to neck, separated by just over 7,000 votes in the first round a month ago.

Liberian voters are to decide whether to hand George Weah a second term as president despite a controversial record, or to elect the 78-year-old Joseph Boakai despite his age. The run-off is expected to be close between the rivals, who also faced off in 2017 when Weah won in the second round with more than 61%. This year’s election is the first since the United Nations in 2018 ended its peacekeeping mission in the West African coastal state, created after reportedly more than quarter of a million people died in two civil wars between 1989 and 2003.

Joseph Boakai, who earlier served as a vice-president, focused in his campaigning on investing in agriculture and infrastructure, while emphasizing the need to rescue the nation from what he calls “mismanagement” by George Weah’s administration. Meanwhile, the incumbent has been talking about improving education and dealing with unemployment and asked voters for more time to see the results of his first-term promises, to root out corruption and improve livelihoods. While clashes during the campaign left several dead and raised fears of post-election violence, Tuesday’s voting was taking place peacefully and there were no reports of major incidents or violence.