30th October, 2017
The National Elections Commission of Liberia (NEC) says the ballot papers for Tuesday’s presidential re-run elections have arrived in the country.
NEC said in a statement on its website that the materials were imported from Slovenia and that they landed at the Roberts International Airport in Monrovia on Saturday.
It said the ballot papers “were later conveyed to a safe location under heavy security escort by officers of the Liberia National Police’’.
The run-off election holds on Nov. 7 and is between ex-football star, Mr George Weah of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and incumbent Vice President Joseph Boakai of the ruling Unity Party (UP).
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Weah and Boakai secured the highest number of votes among 20 candidates in the first round of the elections on Oct. 10.
While Weah secured 596,037 votes or 38.4 per cent, Boakai polled 446,716 votes, representing 28.8 per cent of the total 1,641,922 votes cast.
A winner needs 50 per cent plus one vote to succeed outgoing President and Noble Prize winner, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who is stepping down after serving out her tenure.
“The second round of election on Nov. 7 will fulfill the legal requirement of 50 plus one per cent, if a particular candidate is to be declared winner. Both CDC and UP fell short of that requirement.
“Of the total votes cast, CDC recorded 38.4 per cent, while UP got 28.8 per cent. The rest of the 20 candidates fell short of 10 per cent of the total votes,’’ NEC said.