(Monrovia) The outgoing president of Liberia, George Weah, conceded Friday evening his defeat in Tuesday’s presidential election against opponent Joseph Boakai, a vote whose democratic outcome breaks with the coups d’état that occurred in recent years months in the region.
“Tonight, the CDC (Mr. Weah’s party) lost the election but Liberia won. It’s time for elegance in defeat,” declared Mr. Weah, a former football glory elected in 2017, in a speech on public radio.
“The results announced this evening, although not final, indicate that (Mr.) Boakai has a lead that we cannot catch up. I spoke to President-designate Joseph Boakai to congratulate him on his victory,” Mr. Weah said.
The results published Friday by the electoral commission, after votes in more than 99% of offices, gave 50.89% to Mr. Boakai, 78, and 49.11% to Mr. Weah.
Mr. Boakai had a lead of just over 28,000 votes after some 1.6 million ballots were counted. About 2.4 million Liberians were called to the polls on Tuesday, but no indication has been provided so far of participation.
Beyond the choice of the person called to lead this country in search of stability after the years of civil war and the Ebola epidemic, one of the issues of the election was the peaceful and regular conduct of the election. and the acceptance of the results, while democracy is being undermined by a succession of coups d’état in West Africa.
PHOTO SEYLLOU, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE ARCHIVES
Joseph Boakai
Coups d’état have occurred in particular recently in Mali, Burkina, Guinea and Niger.
The vote was organized 20 years after the end of the civil wars in Liberia, which left more than 250,000 dead between 1989 and 2003 and the memory of which remains vivid in this West African country.
Dozens of Mr. Boakai’s supporters celebrated his victory on Friday, dancing in front of one of his party offices in the Fiama district of Monrovia, an AFP correspondent noted.
Old truck
Winner, Mr. Boakai will take charge of this English-speaking country of around five million inhabitants, one of the poorest in the world, for six years.
This old hand was from 2006 to 2018 the vice-president of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first woman elected head of state in Africa. He has held a multitude of positions within the State or the private sector.
He won despite his age against an opponent 21 years his junior (57 years old) who remained popular among young people, but who had to defend a criticized record.
Mr. Boakai is taking his revenge against the man who largely beat him in the second round in 2017 with more than 61% of the votes, but who his detractors accuse of not having kept his promises to fight poverty and corruption.
The competition this time promised to be much closer, and the two men presented themselves in the second round after arriving neck and neck in the first, with a little over 43% and a lead of 7,126 votes for Mr. Weah .
This election was the first organized without the presence of the United Nations mission in Liberia created in 2003 (and left in 2018) to guarantee peace after civil wars.
Clashes during the campaign left several dead. Incidents were reported between the two rounds, raising fears for the aftermath of the election, especially in the event of a close outcome.
Foreign partners have issued a series of warnings against any actions that would cause violence or undermine the process.
Many foreign and Liberian observers followed the election. The missions of the European Union and the Community of West African States welcomed the generally peaceful conduct of the second round.
Washington congratulated the victory of Joseph Boakai and the “peaceful acceptance of the results” of outgoing President George Weah, according to a statement from the spokesperson for the US State Department.
“The people of Liberia deserve free, transparent and peaceful elections,” added Matthew Miller.
Mr. Boakai promised to develop infrastructure, attract investors and tourists, and improve the living conditions of the poorest in a country where more than a fifth of the population lives on less than $2.15 per day, according to the World Bank.
He has forged alliances with local barons, including former warlord and senator Prince Johnson, who supported Mr. Weah six years ago.