Liberia went to the polls yesterday for a presidential election that voters hope will mark the country’s first democratic transfer of power in over seven decades, despite it being tarnished by allegations of fraud.
Former world footballer of the year George Weah is squaring up against vice president Joseph Boakai, with both men promising a break with a heritage of poverty and corruption in a country where most citizens have no reliable electricity or clean drinking water.
The two ranked first and second respectively in the October 10 first round - Weah won 38.8 percent and Boakai 28.8 percent - but neither secured the 50 percent needed to win outright.
They are bidding to succeed Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, whose 12-year rule cemented peace in the West African country after civil war ended in 2003, and brought in much needed aid.
But critics, including much of the country’s youth, say her administration was marred by corruption and that she did little to raise most Liberians out of dire poverty.
Corruption is endemic in Liberia with residents complaining of corruption from officials and poor public services.
President Sirleaf, after she came to power, declared corruption a “major public enemy”. Twelve years later, the country still ranks poorly in fighting graft. Liberia is ranked 90 out of 176 countries in Transparency International’s 2016 corruption perception index.
President Sirleaf acknowledged that when she addressed parliament earlier this year, that “We have not fully met the anti-corruption pledge that we made in 2006.”
Liberia’s economic recovery since the war has been remarkable. GDP for the country of 4.6 million reached $2.1 billion last year up from just $550 million the year Sirleaf Johnson took office in 2005.
However, the country is still one of the world’s poorest. Over 60 per cent of the country’s population live below poverty line.
The economy, depends heavily on foreign aid, was seriously affected when the country survived the 2014 Ebola crisis, virtually shutting down businesses.
Young people, according to the United Nations, make up more than 60 percent of the country’s population, and youth unemployment is estimated to be as high as 85 percent.
In 2013, President Sirleaf said youth unemployment is a major threat to peace and security in her country, and unless it was addressed could return Liberia back into conflict.
Boosting the economy in the future will depend on economic diversification, increasing investment and trade, higher global commodity prices, sustained foreign aid, development of infrastructure, combating corruption, and maintaining political stability and security.
Yesterday’s run-off vote was delayed for over a month after Boakai and third-placed Charles Brumskine of the Liberty Party alleged widespread fraud in October’s first-round vote, a challenge that the Supreme Court rejected this month.
A total of 5,390 polling stations across the country opened their doors for 2.1 million registered voters at 08:00 GMT yesterday. There were no early reports of violence as voting proceeded under sunny skies in the capital Monrovia.
“It is great day for Liberia - a test day for democracy,” said Boakai after casting his vote in Paynesville. “We will accept the results provided they meet all the standards.”
Boakai’s ruling Unity Party had accused Johnson Sirleaf, who is herself a member of the party, of interfering in the October vote by holding private meetings with election magistrates.
Boakai has found it harder to convince voters that he will bring change, given that he worked alongside Johnson Sirleaf for 12 years.
Weah, by contrast, has won the hearts of mostly young Liberians through his star performances for Europe’s biggest football teams in the 1990s.
“I voted George Weah because I believe that he will do better for me and my country. I want change,” said Miama Kamara, a 32-year-old businesswoman, before casting her ballot in the capital.
Weah’s arrival at a polling station in Paynesville was met with cheers by a crowd of supporters.
“My focus now is to win,” he told reporters. “From there, I am going to get on the drawing board with my team and then we’ll put a plan together to move our country forward.”
Some however are wary of Weah’s lack of political experience, education and concrete policy.
“Boakai understands diplomacy,” said McArthur Nuah Kermah, a school registrar in Paynesville. “Weah is not experienced and doesn‘t know the workings of government.”
Campaign pledges
On the campaign trail, Weah promised to lower poverty levels by creating jobs in both infrastructure and agriculture.
He also said a CDC government would consider paying exam fees and using a sector-wide review to bolster Liberia's weak education system.
Jewel Taylor-Howard, a senior senator and ex-wife of former President Charles Taylor who is serving a 50-year sentence for war crimes, is running as Weah's running mate.
The platform of Boakai's Unity Party hinges on prudent economic decisions and infrastructure. Road construction is his flagship issue.
"When you have roads, all other things can happen," Boakai said during campaigning, while also promising to create 50,000 jobs in his first 150 days in office.
President Sirleaf’s successor will have to work hard to consolidate on her peace building and economic recovery after civil war turned her country into a wasteland.
Liberia has suffered horrific back-to-back civil wars (1989-2003), which killed an estimated more than a quarter of a million people and displaced thousands of others.
Providing a safe and secure election environment will be the first big test for the newly empowered Liberian security forces that took over the responsibility for national security last year.
Since the launch of a peacekeeping mission in September 2003, UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) has been responsible for the country’s security. It has worked to rebuild police and military forces from scratch and disarmed rebels.
ECOWAS observers laud “peaceful” run-off vote
Liberia’s rescheduled presidential run-off election got off to a slow but generally peaceful start, said Head of ECOWAS Observation Mission and Ghana’s immediate past President, John Dramani Mahama.
“There is usually a dip in voter enthusiasm during the second round of voting, but so far so good, all seems to be going on smoothly,” Mahama said after he visited more than five polling places (stations) in Central and Lower Montserrado County (Monrovia).
He noted that the shorter queues this time, as compared to the October 10 first round election, could be the consequence of the new measures introduced by the National Elections Commission (NEC), including the public display of the Final Registration Roll (FRR) to guide voters to their Polling Places.
“Election officials appear better trained and more professional this time and this has removed the confusion experienced the last time,” Mahama said.
Mahama, who also led the ECOWAS Observation Mission to Liberia’s first round of balloting last October, is this time heading 39 observers deployed by the regional organisation.
He was accompanied on Tuesday’s observation tour by an ECOWAS Support Team led by the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Mrs Halima Ahmed and the ECOWAS Special Representative to Liberia Ambassador Babatunde Ajisomo.
Liberia has an estimated population of 4.5 million with 2.18 million registered voters, 2,080 polling precincts (centres) and 5,390 polling places (stations) nationwide
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