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Liberians will head to the polls on Oct. 10 to elect a new president and legislators. The country’s electoral commission promises a free, fair, and transparent election, though there are growing fears among key opposition parties about the credibility. The next president is expected to tackle high levels of corruption and improve Liberians’ livelihoods.
Two million voters will participate in the election that has shown signs of turning violent. On Sunday, violence marred the close of President George Weah’s re-election campaign, with scuffles breaking out between his supporters and members of the opposition during a parade in the capital Monrovia.
Supporters of Weah’s political group, the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), and members from the opposition All Liberia Coalition Party, ALCOP, threw stones at each other, and police fired tear gas.
Main political parties have pledged peaceful polls, but the deaths of three people in clashes last month have fueled fears of electoral violence in Liberia, which suffered back-to-back civil wars between 1989 and 2003 that left over 250,000 people dead.
Who are the main candidates?
Twenty candidates, including incumbent and former football star George Weah, are in the race.
His election victory in 2017 sparked high hopes of change in one of the least developed countries on the planet. This time, the 57-year-old campaigned to convince Liberians he could still improve their lives.
Posters of Weah and his running mate Jewel Howard-Taylor, the ex-wife of jailed former president and warlord Charles Taylor, are all over the streets of the capital Monrovia.
His main challenger is Joseph Boakai of the Unity Party. He lost in the final round of voting in 2017.
The 78-year-old was vice president to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf from 2006 to 2018, but has been branded “Sleepy Joe” by opponents, who suggest it’s time for him to retire.
Boakai is from the indigenous population, like George Weah, and not the US-Liberian elite, who founded the free nation of Liberia in 1847 and were descended from slaves.
Weah’s other challenger is 66-year-old Alexander Cummings, known for his work in the senior ranks of Coca-Cola that helped him build a fortune. In 2017, he came fifth, with just 7.2 percent of the vote.
“I’ll vote Cummings. He’s the best candidate. He has the qualifications and connections. He will know how to create jobs,” electrician Augustine Koffer, 34, said at a rally in the capital Monrovia.
Cummings enjoys a strong international image but could suffer from being seen as elitist and struggle to win popular support after a career abroad.
Another candidate is Tiawan Gongloe who was tortured and almost died during Liberia’s wars. The 67-year-old was Prosecutor General and then labor minister under President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf from 2006 to 2010. Gongloe has vowed to help the poorest and to ease access to education. He uses a broom as his symbol, promising to clean up the mess left by bad governance and finally put those responsible for the horrors of the 1989-2003 civil war in the dock.
What do voters want?
“Those who have corrupted our economy should be investigated,” Jimmy Frank, school principal in Monrovia told DW.
“The second thing is to focus on road connectivity and investing in agriculture to ease some of the economic burden they are going through,” Frank added.
“We want an improved health system because even at government health facilities patients have to pay for prescriptions,” Caroline Narmen, a nurse told DW.
Thomas Wiggins, a university student, wants the next government to improve the education system.
“We want a better future. The education system needs to be improved like other countries because we are far behind,” he told DW.
What’s at stake and how will the election work?
To win, a candidate must get at least 50 percent plus one of the votes cast.
If no party reaches that threshold, the two parties with the most votes proceed to a run-off election won by a simple majority.
While on the campaign trail, Weah urged for peace on election day.
“Without peace, our world will be difficult. Without peace, development will not take place,” he said in a speech at his party’s headquarters.
Weah came to power promising to create jobs and invest in education, but critics say he has failed to meet his pledges.
Ibrahim Nyei, the director of the Ducor Institute for Social, Economic, and Research, told DW that Weah is in for a tough election, despite his advantage as incumbent.
“He has so many resources at his disposal. Public offices are being abused for campaign purposes; the playing field does not seem that level and it suggests that he is already ahead because everyone is trying to unseat him,” Nyei said.
The United Nations has expressed concerns about election violence ahead of the crucial vote.
Evelyn Kpadeh in Monrovia contributed to this report
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