Liberia: Boakai Maintains ‘Firm Grip on Early Lead’
Joseph Boakai, presidential candidate of the Unity Party
…. Out of partial votes tallied in twelve counties, Boakai has 57,862, accounting for 46.27%, while Weah accumulated 49,510 votes, representing 39.6%
In a nail-biting race, former Vice President Joseph Boakai continues to maintain his early lead over incumbent President George Weah as the National Elections Commission (NEC) diligently announces results from the October 10 polls.
Boakai, who lost to Weah during the 2017 runoff election, has since the announcement of results began on October 11, continued to outpace Weah, who is seeking re-election.
As of October 12, data from the electoral body shows that Boakai is in the lead with 57,790 votes, constituting 46.27% of the votes, while Weah is behind with 49,510 votes, representing 39.6%.
The next is Cllr. Tiawan Gongloe who has already conceded defeat despite result announcements continuing until the October 25 deadline. Gongloe is in third place with 4,483 votes, constituting 3.59%.
The votes, according to the NEC, represent reports from at least 3,890 polling places out of 5,860 across the country. This data includes results from 11 of the country's 15 political subdivisions. Boakai is contesting on the opposition Unity Party (UP) ticket while Weah is on the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC).
In Bomi County, Boakai received 58.53% of the votes, while Weah garnered 33.21%. In Bong County, Boakai secured 44.72%, and Weah obtained 39.07% of the votes. In Grand Bassa County, the CDC received 42.04% of the votes, followed by UP with 36.24%.
In Grand Kru County, Weah's native county, the CDC acquired 86.01% of the votes, and UP received 5.24%. In Lofa County, Boakai obtained 49.36%, the CDC received 27.79%, and ALCOP received 9.52% of the votes.
In Margibi County, Boakai secured 52.21%, the CDC received 37.75%, and GDM obtained 2.45%. In Montserrado County, considered a stronghold of the CDC, the party received 48.39% of the votes, while UP obtained 46.23%.
In Nimba County, UP received 54.99% of the votes, followed by the CDC with 19.42%. In Rivercess County, out of a total of 105 polling places, 19 were reported, with 2,852 votes for the CDC constituting 52.33%, while UP received a total of 1,985 votes constituting 36.42%.
For Sinoe County, out of a total of 156 polling places, 16 polling places were reported, with a total of 3,839 votes for the CDC, constituting 75.81%, while UP received 745 votes, constituting 14.71%.
In River Gee County, out of a total of 98 polling places, 6 polling places were reported, constituting 6.12%, with a total of 1,321 votes for the CDC, constituting 64.1%, while UP received 480 votes, constituting 23.29.
Gbarpolu County, out of a total of 134 polling places, reported a total of 40 polling places, constituting 29.85%, with a total of 4,572 votes for the CDC constituting 36.82%, while UP received 6,122 votes, constituting 49.3%.
Analysts noted that for Boakai or Weah to win the presidency, Montserrado, the nation's most populated county, must be firmly in the grasp of one of them, as well as a strong performance in at least two of the other top five vote-rich counties, namely Nimba, Bong, Margibi, and Lofa.
If neither of the two frontrunners secures less than 50 percent of the vote in the first round, a runoff will be held on November 7. The NEC has 15 days from the day the vote was cast to announce the election results. This means that the final result of the election will be known by October 25 or even sooner. The October 10 polls have been billed as a referendum on the incumbent candidate, Weah, who rode to victory with high hopes in 2017, marking a historic moment as Liberia's first democratically elected leader since 1944.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the opposition Unity Party, of which Boakai is the Presidential candidate, has claimed that his political leaders have won the polls even though results are still being announced.
According to Rev. Luther Tarpeh, the Unity Party has reviewed about 90% of the tally sheets available, and it indicates that they have won the election in the first round.
"Thank you for voting for a new future," Tarpeh told reporters at a news conference on October 12. "I can say to Liberians both home and abroad that the tallying sheets we have in our possession from the 15 counties of Liberia have shown clearly that the Unity Party is in the lead and Amb. Joseph N. Boakai is the next president."
Tarpeh, however, acknowledged that the NEC is the legal body responsible for announcing all election results and urged Unity Party supporters to remain calm and await the official announcement.
He said the Unity Party and Liberians have every reason to be proud, especially those who stood in line for many hours to vote for a new future, which makes Boakai the new President of Liberia.
"We want to remind you and say to Liberians both home and abroad that the Unity Party and the alliance are committed to keeping the peace of Liberia that we have enjoyed over the last 20 years, and it requires all of us to maintain, and the Unity Party is deeply committed to keeping the peace of Liberia," Tarpeh said.
Montserrado County Senator and chairman of the Unity Party Montserrado County campaign team, Abraham Darius Dillon, reiterated that the Unity Party already has 90% of the tally sheets, and all indications show that Joseph Boakai is the winner of the presidential election.
Showcasing some of the tallying sheets, Dillon said the Unity Party is poised to invite the media and international observers to witness the process and get an idea of what's happening at the party’s tallying center.