APA-Monrovia (Liberia) President George Weah may be looking for a second term but early indications suggest that his opposition nemesis Dr. Joseph Boakai has romped to an early lead in the vote count in at least two counties.
Although it is generally seen as a two-horse race, six candidates are vying for the Liberian presidency including frontrunners Weah of the ruling coalition for Democratic Change and former vice president Dr Boakai of the Unity Party.
According to the latest official tallies by the National Elections Commission or NEC Boakai has collected 3,119 votes or 60.17 percent ahead of President Weah with 1,681 votes or 32.43 percent,
These tallies are from two of Liberia’s fifteen counties.
The counties of Bomi and the most populous voting constituency Montserrado represent just 16 out of 5,890 polling stations nationwide.
In 13 precincts of the former, Boakai garnered 2,543 votes, constituting 64.01 of the 3,973 total votes and 153 invalid votes, according to NEC.
Weah in second on the other hand secured 1,134 votes, or 28.54 percent while a third candidate Alexander Cummings is with 32 votes or 0.81 percent.
With the results of just three out of 2008 polling stations in Montserrado released, Boakai is on the ascendancy with 576 votes or 47.58 percent.
Weah is a close second with 547 votes or 45.17 percent, according to the NEC.
With the results of just two out of Liberia’s fifteen counties released so far, the outcome is still up in the air and could go either way.
However, analysts say if Boakai maintains a healthy lead in Montserrado and make a strong showing in the rest of the counties, he could be well on his way to pulling off an electoral upset for Mr Weah whose waning popularity was partly caused by Liberia’s economic challenges and unbridled corruption.
Some 2.4 million people were registered to vote in Tuesday’s presidential and parliamentary elections which were marred in some parts of the country especially in the southeast where floods had posed a challenge to voters for access to voting materials.
President Weah faces a stiff challenge from his long-term poll rival 78-year-old Dr. Boakai who he defeated on his way to the presidency in 2017.
The Liberia National Elections Commission or NEC said the final results are to be expected in the next two weeks.
In areas affected voting had to be extended beyond polling day on Tuesday after canoes transporting electoral staff and materials overturned.
Liberia, a country with a civil war past has held four elections since the end of the conflict in 2003 which claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people.
This year’s poll took place against the searing backdrop of torrid economic realities for Liberians, a situation which inspired Dr. Boakai to fashion his campaign as an attempt to “rescue” Africa’s oldest republic from the clutches of this crisis.
He accused President Weah’s government of incompetence to deal with the economic crisis and rampant corruption for the past six years.
Denying the claim Mr. Weah claimed his government has been responsible for Liberia’s ”upward development trajectory”.
The Liberian leader who won the World Player of the Year award in 1995 as a footballer, cited the fact that university students enjoy free education, a first in the country.
WN/as/APA