As expected, Liberians came out in mass in the early hours ofTuesday, October 10, 2023, in an election expected to be a three-horse-house race between the incumbent George Weah, former Liberian Vice President Joseph Boakai and former Coco-cola Senior Executive, Alexander B. Cummings.
Voters are up to also elect members of 55th Legislative including the Houses of Representatives and the Liberian Senate.
Liberian President George Weah is seeking a second term in office, facing a rematch against his main challenger from the 2017 election.
Liberian President George Weah is seeking a second term in office, hoping that his efforts to pave roads, build hospitals and bring electricity to more areas will win votes despite growing economic hardships in the West African nation.
He faces a crowded field of 19 challengers, led by his main rival from the last election in 2017, Joseph Boakai, who served as vice president under Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first democratically elected female leader.
Weah, 57, a former international soccer star, cast his ballot with his wife and son at the Kendeja Elementary school in Paynesville city yesterday morning as he seeks to retain the presidency after six years of leadership which his critics described as empts and shielding of corrupt officials of hisadministration.
Boakai who campaigned on promises to rescue Liberia from what he calls Weah’s failed leadership, dubbing himself and his running mate “Rescue 1” and “Rescue 2,” cast his vote yesterday at the Mcguire Memorial School nearly his residence in Rehab, Paynesville, District #6, while Alexander B. Cummings who is contesting the highest office of the nation for the second time, voted in Old Matadi, Monrovia.
Our correspondents at various precincts across the country yesterday reported massive turnouts of voters. The process was also conducted in a peaceful atmosphere as there was no report of major violence across the country.
Several international and local observers including observers from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), African Union (AU), European Union (EU), the United States (US), and other international organizations, local and international media groups were out in the field to ensure transparent elections.
Our correspondents who visited several polling precincts centers across Liberia noticed the slow handing of voters processing by temporary NEC workers, poor lighting facilities and ineffective materials thus, causing serious delay in the process.
Earlier yesterday morning, thousands of Liberians turned out at various polling centers across the country to cast their votes in Liberia’s Presidential and Legislative Elections.
Voting began earlier Tuesday at 8:00 AM in Monrovia and other parts of the country. There was no report of violence across the country. Our correspondents say the process started on time while people with disabilities, pregnant women and the elderly people were given preference as they queued in special lines to enable them cast their votes smoothly.
Liberia is having its first Presidential Election after a smooth transition in 2017 when Liberia and Africa’s first female President, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf turned power to Mr. George M. Weah, a soccer star who defeated former Vice President, Joseph N. Boakai. Boakai has campaigned on promises to rescue Liberia from what he calls Weah’s failed leadership, dubbing himself and his running mate “Rescue 1” and “Rescue 2.”
19 presidential candidates are challenging incumbent George Weah with former Vice President Boakai being his main challenger. Liberian business Executive, Alexander Cummings, respected human rights lawyer, Tiawon Gongloe and others are also challenging the incumbent Weah.
Our correspondent Patrick Stephen Tokpah in the central Liberian town of Gbarnga, Bong County disclosed that voting began without delay at various polling centers.
According to him, the first voter at the John Flomo Bakalu High School Polling Center in Gbarnga, Bong County, Garmah Flomo has described the process as smooth and easy.
“The polling center of the John Flomo Bakalu opened at 8:00 AM, as the National Election Commission workers assigned at the center began to allow voters to cast their vote<: our correspondent says.
The John F. High School has seven polling places in Gbarnga, Bong County. He said early Tuesday morning, while NEC workers were setting up, voters were in the queue awaiting the official opening of polls in the county.
In an interview with our correspondent, at the John Flomo Bakalu High School polling center, Garmah FLomoadmonished Liberians to vote peacefully for their Country. Garmah Flomo, a resident of Lofa Road Community in Gbarnga, Bong County said she spent the night at the John Flomo Bakalu High School polling center just to cast her ballot first.
Like Garmah Flomo, an early-age woman, Mary George, a resident of the Feminta Road Community, Gbarnga said she left her house early in the morning at 5: 00 AM to go to the polling center to vote for her preferred candidates in the pending 2023 elections.
She said voting for the next president, Senators, and Representatives is important for the growth and development of Liberia.
Our correspondent, Mark Dunbar who visited the Township of Crozierville in District #1, Montserrado County quotes voters as saying that the voting process in the township moved very fast without any violence or intimidation.
Speaking to one of the NEC Coordinator, she said the people of Crozierville are peaceful with the process. Commenting on the voting process in Crozierville, another voter identified as Sheriff Mohammed was stopped from voting by Immigration Officers at one of the polling centers due to fake identity suspecting him to be a Guinean national.
Mr. Mohammed who was denied from voting told reporters that his father is from Liberia and his mother from Guinea. He said he is a Liberian and therefore has the right to vote in his country.
About 2.4 million Liberians registered voters are went to vote for their leaders yesterday in a highly contested Presidential and Legislative Elections in Liberia.
At the same time, the electoral body in Liberia assured free, fair and transparent electoral process as millions of voters queued at various centers across the country to cast their votes on Tuesday.
The National Elections Commission said at a news conference that all have been put in place for the smooth conduct of Tuesday’s Legislative and Presidential Elections emphasizing a transparent process.
Yesterday, Liberians who turned out at various polling places in the tiny West African nation casted their voters across the country in a peaceful manner. According to our many correspondents across the country, there was no report of serious violence but there are reports of delays in handling voters’ ID cards by NEC temporary workers at some polling centers across Liberia.
Our correspondents across the country say the process went smoothly and also disclosed that there was massive turnout of voters at all polling places across the country. Voters began to queue early Tuesday morning at various polling centers across Liberia to choose their preferred candidates.
Incumbent George Weah is being challenged by 19 Presidential Candidates in a tight presidential race with Joseph Boakai, former Vice President being his main challenger.
Preliminary results are expected Wednesday. NEC–Liberia’s electoral body is clothed with the authority to announce results of the elections.
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