The opposition leader wins the presidential election in Liberia
The leader of the opposition in Liberia, Joseph Boakai has emerged as the winner in the second round of the presidential election, defeating the outgoing President, George Weah who was running for a second term.
According to the results of 99.5 percent of the votes counted so far and announced by the Electoral Commission of Liberia, Boakai won by getting almost 51 percent of the votes, while Weah got 49 percent. Liberians voted last Tuesday in the second round of the election that pitted President George Weah against former Vice President Joseph Boakai after a fierce contest in the first round, where no one could get more than 50 percent of the vote. George Weah, 57, led the first round of the election in October, getting 43.83 percent of the vote, and Boakai got 43.44 percent. Boakai (right) and George Weah Boakai, 78, is a veteran politician who from 2006 to 2018 was the deputy of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first democratically elected female president in Africa. In the 2017 election, George Weah who is a famous former soccer player won with more than 61 percent of the vote. Weah has already congratulated Boakai for the victory. In his speech on national radio, Weah said, "The CDC party has lost the election, but Liberia has emerged victorious. This is the time to prioritize national interests, instead of personal interests."
