Voters in Liberia began queuing from 2am in the country’s first presidential elections since the end of a devastating civil war two years ago.
International observers have praised the smooth start to the day’s voting — which marks the culmination of a relatively peaceful two-month campaign. The European Commission’s chief elections observer, Max van de Berg, told Reuters he was pleased with the turnout so far, adding: ”The voters of Liberia are giving a lesson to their leaders. The lesson of playing the peaceful and democratic way.”
Tuesday’s elections are widely viewed as a potential turning point for the war-ravaged country, with many candidates promising to put an end to the vicious cycle of violence and unrest that has lasted, almost continuously, since 1989.
They also promise to address basic amenities in a country whose capital lacks both running water and electricity. The winning candidate will need to achieve 51% of the vote, which may require a run-off between the top two candidates.
The western African state of Liberia, which has a population of just 3,3-million, was founded by freed America and Caribbean slaves in 1847 and is Africa’s oldest republic. However a succession of violent coups, economic mismanagement and civil unrest have rendered Liberia one of the poorest countries in the world, despite its abundance of natural resources.
Over 200 000 people died in Liberia’s 14-year civil war, which began in 1989 when then rebel leader Charles Taylor launched an insurgency against the sitting president, Samuel Doe. Taylor was eventually elected president himself in 1997, following the signing of a peace agreement.
Violence erupted again soon after Taylor took office and, in 2003, with Liberia’s capital besieged by rebels, Taylor fled the country. He now lives in exile in Nigeria, accused by Sierra Leone’s UN-backed war crimes tribunal of involvement in that country’s 10-year civil war.
Ever since Taylor’s departure a transitional government has — with the assistance of 15 000 UN peacekeeping troops — steered the country towards landmark democratic elections.
The contender many expect to win in today’s poll boasts an unconventional, although glitzy, past career: former world footballer of the year, multimillionaire and ex-Chelsea star, George Weah.
Weah (39) candidate for the Congress for Democratic Change, was brought up with his grandmother in a hut on reclaimed swampland in Monrovia before becoming one of Africa’s most famed footballers. His spectacular career earned him the title of Fifa world footballer of the year in 1995.
However the candidate tipped as Weah’s closest challenger, Johnson-Sirleaf (66) would make an equally unprecedented victor. If she wins, the former World Bank economist will become Africa’s first ever elected female president. Around 1,3-million Liberians have registered to vote in the poll. – Guardian Unlimited Â