Liberia: Election runoff held without major incident December 26 /update 14

Event

Liberia's presidential election runoff between former soccer player George Weah (Coalition for Democratic Change party) and Vice President Joseph Boakai (ruling Unity Party) took place peacefully and without major incident on Tuesday, December 26. Polling stations closed around 18:00 (local time) on Tuesday. The country reportedly witnessed lower voter turnout during the December 26 election than in October's first-round vote, according to domestic and international election observers, which may be partially attributed to the vote being held immediately after Christmas Day celebrations on Monday, December 25, as well as because legislative candidates that assisted in transporting people to the polls during the first round elections in October did not do so during the runoff election.

The Liberian National Elections Commission (NEC) is expected to announce the results of the runoff election in the coming days, though the body officially has until Tuesday, January 9, to release the final results. Associated protests, a heightened security presence, and consequent traffic disruptions are possible in the coming days, especially after the NEC reports the official results.

Context

The victor of the December 26 vote will replace current President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who has served two complete terms and is expected to step down from office on January 18.

The second round of voting was initially scheduled for November 7. However, the Liberty Party filed a formal complaint with the NEC in late October, followed by the ruling Unity Party and the All Liberian Party, demanding that the October 10 vote be annulled. The second round was postponed while the commission investigated the claims of fraud, which were eventually discarded.

Advice

Individuals present in Liberia are advised to monitor local news and to avoid any political rallies or protests, as violence may flare up without warning.