By Lincoln G. Peters
The National Elections Commission Monday officially declared former Vice President Joseph Boakai winner of the November 14, Presidential runoff.
The official announcement follows incumbent President George Weah’s concession speech over the weekend after NEC announced over 99 percent of the votes cast on November 14.
Making the final official announcement NEC Chair Davidetta Brown-Lasannah said Amb. Boakai obtained 814,481 constituting 50.64% over President Weah who accumulated 793,914 votes amounting to 49.36%.
According to NEC Chair Brown-Lasannah, about 1,635,088 registered voters participated in the presidential runoff election. Out of this number, she said the valid votes amounted to 1,680,395, while the invalid votes were 25,788.
“Ladies in gentlemen, in this connection, the results of the presidential runoff election indicate that the presidential ticket of candidate Joseph Nyumah Boakai and senator Jeremiah K. Koung of UP has the highest number of votes eight, hundred and fourteen thousand four hundred and eighty-one votes constituting 50.64%. Over incumbent President George M. Weah and Jewel Howard-Taylor of CDC seven hundred and ninety-three thousand nine hundred and fourteen constituting 49.36%’’ she stated.
“Hence, the presidential ticket of candidate Boakai and Koung of the Unity Party is declared by the commission as winner of the 14 November 2023 Presidential runoff elections’’ Madam Brown-Lasannah concluded.
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The official announcement was graced by several international and local observation missions including the diplomatic corps.
In attendance at the program were representatives from the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), the European Union (EU), the African Union, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) among others.
We must no longer wait for rulers or leaders to buy food for us. Tilt our own soil.
We should stop also running to other nations to help solve everything we ourselves as a nation can easily possibly formulate within the 43,000 sq.miles we have. Our own scientific strength. Our resources, things the youths are capable of inventing (producing), and pay them their worths. Patent rights, proposals passed or not by law makers or the ones who filtered or break to make. Try as much as can feed our own. Keep the secrecy of our heritage to the generation unborn. Keep the development started continued, no matter which leader. In short, be together as, by, and for the nation putting family first.
This is the Liberian nation’s conclusion for this run-off. Thanks to this NEC. Let us as of now avoid constitutional disrespect towards the ballot box. Inauguration is a vital point in our democracy and involves all of Liberia. We should always in the future depend on the right to vote and not to vote as our franchise. A direction to the peace, prosperity, stability, and tranquility of a people. This welcome of international partners in the transformation of this Republic will again bring back Liberia as the light to Freedom in Africa. Regardless who elects or is elected to a position of party or individual interest, it is the voice of the people through franchise that will continue to control the destiny of Liberia.