Weah declared Liberia’s 24th president

By Evelyn Kpadeh Seagbeh

MONROVIA, Liberia

The National Election Commission on Friday declared former international soccer star George Weah the winner of Liberia’s presidential runoff.

Following a Dec. 26 poll, Weah’s Coalition for Democratic Change took 61.5 percent of the vote, beating Vice President Joseph Boakai’s Unity Party, which got 38.5 percent.

Weah was expected to deliver a victory speech to supporters and the country, but it was canceled.

Thousands of jubilant supporters who had gathered at the party’s headquarters were screaming and creating disturbances while there were also problems with the PA system, preventing Weah from delivering his address. He will speak at a later date.

As the election commission announced the final results, the city center in the capital Monrovia was overwhelmed by traffic congestion for several hours as supporters paraded through the streets heading to their party’s headquarters.

The former football celebrity turned politician, senator and now president has a huge task ahead of him with most of the country’s young people harboring high hopes for his government ahead of his swearing-in on Jan. 16.

Earlier, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf issued an executive order establishing a Joint Presidential Transition Team.

The order gives the team the authority to develop appropriate protocols and mechanisms for the smooth transfer of power from one democratically elected president to another

Once all systems and mandates are put in place by the team, Weah will be sworn in as the country’s next president, replacing Sirleaf.