LIBERIA’S Natio
nal Elections Commission (NEC) officially declared Joseph Boakai, leader of the opposition Unity Party, as the winner of the 2023 presidential election. The announcement was made by Davidetta Lansanah, the head of NEC, during a press conference Monday night at the commission’s headquarters in Monrovia, the national capital.
‘With 100 percent of the votes from all 5,890 polling places across Liberia’s 15 counties counted,’ Lansanah stated, ‘Boakai, the former vice president and candidate of the Unity Party, garnered 814,481 votes, or 50.64 percent of the vote.’ In contrast, George Weah, leader of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change party, secured 793,914 votes, representing 49.36 percent.
Unlike the first round of the election, where a candidate must score over 50 percent as per electoral law, the winner of the second round only requires a simple majority. Boakai’s victory in the presidential runoff signifies the popular support garnered by the opposition in this closely contested election.
Ahead of the formal declaration, Weah conceded defeat on Friday, extending congratulations to Boakai and urging citizens to unite behind the new leadership for Liberia’s continued development and stability.
The presidential runoff, held on November 14, was a culmination of the initial polls on October 10, which
featured 20 candidates but did not yield a clear winner, leading to the need for a decisive second round. Boakai’s win marks
a pivotal moment in Liberia’s political landscape, with expectations high for the impact of the new leadership on the nation’s trajectory.
