MONROVIA, Liberia – Liberia’s presidential runoff elections have been slated for December 26, the country’s electoral overseer announced on Tuesday.
The elections will see former soccer player and presidential candidate of Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) George Weah and Vice President Joseph Boakai going head to head as they battle for top office in replace of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who is stepping down after a maximum two six-year terms.
“I am pleased to announce that the 2017 presidential runoff elections will be conducted on Tuesday December 26, 2017,” Jerome Korkoya said, president of the National Elections Commission (NEC).
Korkoya also urged all registered voters to come out in numbers and choose the president of their choice for the sake of the country.
“We realise that this day is immediately after Christmas Day,” he added “We call on all registered voters to make that one sacrifice, for the love of our democracy.”
The election date comes after months of delays following fraud complaints from various organs of the state.
The following elections will be a test of stability to Liberians following back-to-back civil wars and an Ebola crisis that killed thousands of people from 2014 to 2016.
Although the outgoing president did a great job in steering the country away from the trauma of war, poverty remains entrenched in most parts of the country.
Weah won 38.4 percent to Boakai’s 28.8 percent in the first round of voting on the 10th of October.
The decision for run-off elections were triggered because no single candidate obtained more than 50 percent in the first round.
Image Credits – Africa news
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