Liberians vote in presidential runoff

Liberians began voting in the second round of presidential elections on Tuesday morning across the West African country.

The presidential runoff is between incumbent President George Weah of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change and former Vice President Joseph Boakai of the Unity Party.

“The process has been smooth and peaceful so far.

“We expect that voting during this runoff process will be faster compared to the initial polls because it involves only one ballot paper per voter,” said Lawrence Fanbulleh, a voter in the capital, Monrovia.

Observers from various local and international organizations, including the Economic Community of West African States and the West African Elders Forum, are monitoring the electoral process to ensure fairness and transparency.

More than 2.4 million Liberians were registered to vote during the election.

The National Elections Commission oversees the conduct of the elections in all 15 counties of the country.

The first round of voting, held on Oct. 10, did not yield a clear winner among the 20 presidential candidates that participated, leading to the runoff between Weah and Boakai, the top two contenders.

The campaigns leading to the election day was marked by rallies, intense debates and focused discussion on critical issues facing Liberia.

They include the economy, social welfare and fight against corruption, among others.