By Lincoln G. Peters
Liberia’s National Elections Commission (NEC) has declared a presidential run-off between incumbent President George Manneh Weah and his political archrival Amb. Joseph Nyumah Boakai.
20 presidential candidates contested for the nation’s highest seat, and none of the two leading candidates could secure a first-round victory.
A presidential candidate is required to obtain 50 percent plus one of the total votes cast on the first ballot to be declared a winner.
The NEC has declared the second 14 November 2023 as the date for the runoff presidential election across the country between incumbent President Weah and Amb. Boakai.
Mr. Weah obtained a slight lead over Boakai in the first round of the polls after a full nationwide tally.
During a regular press briefing Tuesday in Monrovia, NEC Chairperson Madam Davidetta Brown-Lansanah read the Nationwide Progressive Tally Reports consolidated.
She said that the runoff is declared in keeping with Article 83 (b) of the Constitution since no political parties reached the 50% benchmark.
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She reported that the Commissioners have completed the nationwide tally 100%.
Based on the final presidential tally report consolidated, She said candidate Weah and the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) obtained 804,87 (43.83%), while opposition Unity Party (UP) candidate Amb. Boakai obtained 796,961 (43.44%).
Madam Brown-Lansanah put the average valid votes at 1,834,516, while the invalid votes amount to 114,639.
“Results of the 10 October [elections] show that the ticket of the Coalition for Democratic Change headed by candidate George M. Weah obtained the highest number of votes followed by the ticket of the opposition Unity Party,” said Madam Brown-Lansanah.
However, she said Article 83 (b) of the Constitution of Liberia says elections of public officers shall be determined by an absolute majority of the votes cast.
She noted that if no candidate obtains an absolute majority in the first ballot, a second ballot shall be conducted on the second Tuesday following the two candidates who received the greatest numbers of votes on the first ballot shall be designated to participate in the run-off election.
With no presidential ticket obtaining 50% of the votes, she declared a run-off to be held on Tuesday, 14 November between the two tickets that obtained the highest votes of the CDC and UP.
According to the NEC chairperson, the political campaign for the runoff election officially started Tuesday, 24 October 2023, and will climax on 12 November at 11:59pm.
