Liberian leader and football icon George Weah acknowledged his defeat to opposition leader Joseph Boakai in a closely contested presidential run-off, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing national interests over personal ones. Read full article
With over 99.5 percent of polling stations reporting, Boakai secured 50.89 percent of the votes, leading by 28,000 votes according to Friday's figures.
Weah, the first African footballer to win FIFA's World Player of the Year and the Ballon d'Or, had initially generated hopes for change in Liberia.
However, allegations of corruption and unfulfilled promises marred his presidency. Boakai's nearly 51 percent lead in the latest results marked Liberia's widely praised election.
Weah graciously accepted defeat, stating that his party had lost, but Liberia had triumphed. Boakai, 78, had previously lost to Weah, 57, in the 2017 second-round presidential vote by a significant margin.
The United States commended Boakai's victory and Weah's peaceful acceptance of the results, urging citizens to follow Weah's example. Weah personally congratulated Boakai on his triumph.
"We have listened to the voice of the Liberian people, and while the results highlight a significant division within our nation," Weah expressed in his address. He called for unity to overcome the campaign-induced divisions and unite as one nation.
Weah, who remains president until the January handover, committed to continuing his efforts for the benefit of Liberia. This marks the second peaceful transition of power between democratically-elected governments in the past two decades.
These elections, occurring after the United Nations concluded its peacekeeping mission in 2018, received commendation from international observers, including the European Union, for their peaceful conduct.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) described the poll as "largely" peaceful.
With approximately 2.4 million eligible voters, the turnout stood at around 66 percent, according to the electoral commission website.