Liberia’s football Legend President Takes Shot At Second Term

Ex-international football star George Weah is running for a second term as Liberia’s president in elections on Tuesday, with peace and development among voters’ main concerns.

Under a tin roof by a petrol station in Buchanan, around 150 kilometres (93 miles) east of the capital Monrovia, a group of men discussed their priorities for the October 10 presidential and parliamentary polls.

They talked about better healthcare, education and roads, jobs and the cost of living. But in a country scarred by back-to-back civil wars, there was one overriding issue. “What we expect most is peace,” said Melvine Zoega, 37. Between 1989 and 2003, the conflicts in the West African nation left more than 250,000 people dead.ALSO READ:NWFL 2023/24 Season To Kickoff On November 15th

The main political parties have pledged a peaceful vote, but the recent killing of three people in clashes between supporters of the two main political parties has fuelled fears of a return to violence.

“We advise to the youth, whoever is the winner, we should accept it. Whether it’s our candidate or it’s not,” said David Tokpah, 55.NWFL Approves Premiership Expansion For 2023/2024 Season

“The past war was dreadful. Many innocents died. We don’t want that to happen again because we know where it took us for the past 14 years.” The authorities have vowed to track down troublemakers, while the electoral commission is seeking to reassure people it can organise fair and credible polls.

The European Union, the African Union, the West African bloc ECOWAS and the United States have deployed observers, in a region hit by a string of recent coups.Weah is facing 19 candidates and a second round of voting is set for early November, unless a candidate secures an unlikely absolute majority in the first round.

Polling stations will open from 0800 to 1800 GMT, and the country’s 2.4 million voters will also be choosing who takes up the 73 seats in the House of Representatives and the 15 members of the Senate.

The first results are expected within a few days of the vote. Former vice president Joseph Boakai from the Unity Party is among the frontrunners for the presidency. He has said that any vote cheating or manipulation will lead to “the end of this country”.

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