Liberians lead the way

MONROVIA – Liberia’s former Finance Minister Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf became the first woman to be elected head of state of an African country yesterday when she was declared the winner of a presidential run-off.

Liberia’s electoral commission said official results from the November 8 run-off showed the Harvard-trained World Bank economist beat soccer millionaire George Weah by winning 59,4 per cent of the valid votes, compared to Weah’s 40,6 per cent. “Consequently, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, having received more than 50 per cent of the valid votes cast from November 8, is hereby declared the winner of the presidential election,” NEC chairwoman Frances Johnson-Morris announced at an official ceremony in the capital Monrovia.”I feel very fine.I am happy about my election and I thank the Liberian people for their support,” the 67-year-old president-elect, who wore a maroon African robe and headcloth, told reporters as her supporters cheered and sang around her.Liberia’s electoral authorities confirmed Johnson-Sirleaf’s win even though they were still investigating a formal complaint from Weah that the polls were allegedly fraudulent.Supporters of the former AC Milan striker, who has a strong following among mostly young Liberians, staged street protests last week, some of which turned into clashes with police.International observers had praised the elections, the first since the end of a 14-year civil war in the West African state, as free and fair.Several hundred foreign observers and 15 000 United Nations troops and police supervised the polls.Weah’s Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) party said it would continue to contest the election result.”We have asked all our supporters to remain calm as we pursue the legal channel,” CDC chairman Cole Bangaloe told Reuters.UN peacekeepers backed by armoured vehicles guarded checkpoints in Monrovia around the Centennial Pavilion building where the final election results were announced.Johnson-Sirleaf’s professional qualifications include jobs with the United Nations, World Bank and Citigroup.Weah (39) rose to become Fifa’s World Player of the Year after being brought up in a Monrovia shantytown and dropping out of high school.Alan Doss, the head of the UN peacekeeping mission in Liberia, described Johnson-Sirleaf’s election win as “a historic moment not only for Liberia, but for the continent as a whole”.”I offer my congratulations to Mrs Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf on her accomplishment.She is the first woman in Africa to be elected as head of state,” he said.”The road ahead will not be an easy one but she begins her journey with the support of the Liberian people and the goodwill of the international community,” Doss added.He also praised Weah’s “participation in the democratic process”.Johnson-Sirleaf has pledged she will use her technocratic skills to rebuild Liberia and reconcile its people after the devastating civil war that killed a quarter of a million people and left its infrastructure in tatters.Although the war ended two years ago when former warlord and President Charles Taylor went into exile, Monrovia and other cities do not have running water or mains electricity.Diplomats and analysts had expressed fears that warlords who had opportunistically backed Weah’s campaign would cause trouble if he lost.But ex-rebel leaders Prince Yormi Johnson and Sekou Conneh have called on Weah to accept defeat.- Nampa-Reuters”Consequently, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, having received more than 50 per cent of the valid votes cast from November 8, is hereby declared the winner of the presidential election,” NEC chairwoman Frances Johnson-Morris announced at an official ceremony in the capital Monrovia. “I feel very fine.I am happy about my election and I thank the Liberian people for their support,” the 67-year-old president-elect, who wore a maroon African robe and headcloth, told reporters as her supporters cheered and sang around her.Liberia’s electoral authorities confirmed Johnson-Sirleaf’s win even though they were still investigating a formal complaint from Weah that the polls were allegedly fraudulent.Supporters of the former AC Milan striker, who has a strong following among mostly young Liberians, staged street protests last week, some of which turned into clashes with police.International observers had praised the elections, the first since the end of a 14-year civil war in the West African state, as free and fair.Several hundred foreign observers and 15 000 United Nations troops and police supervised the polls.Weah’s Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) party said it would continue to contest the election result.”We have asked all our supporters to remain calm as we pursue the legal channel,” CDC chairman Cole Bangaloe told Reuters.UN peacekeepers backed by armoured vehicles guarded checkpoints in Monrovia around the Centennial Pavilion building where the final election results were announced.Johnson-Sirleaf’s professional qualifications include jobs with the United Nations, World Bank and Citigroup.Weah (39) rose to become Fifa’s World Player of the Year after being brought up in a Monrovia shantytown and dropping out of high school.Alan Doss, the head of the UN peacekeeping mission in Liberia, described Johnson-Sirleaf’s election win as “a historic moment not only for Liberia, but for the continent as a whole”.”I offer my congratulations to Mrs Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf on her accomplishment.She is the first woman in Africa to be elected as head of state,” he said.”The road ahead will not be an easy one but she begins her journey with the support of the Liberian people and the goodwill of the international community,” Doss added.He also praised Weah’s “participation in the democratic process”.Johnson-Sirleaf has pledged she will use her technocratic skills to rebuild Liberia and reconcile its people after the devastating civil war that killed a quarter of a million people and left its infrastructure in tatters.Although the war ended two years ago when former warlord and President Charles Taylor went into exile, Monrovia and other cities do not have running water or mains electricity.Diplomats and analysts had expressed fears that warlords who had opportunistically backed Weah’s campaign would cause trouble if he lost.But ex-rebel leaders Prince Yormi Johnson and Sekou Conneh have called on Weah to accept defeat.- Nampa-Reuters