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Polls open in Liberia presidential runoff as voters slowly form queues

(Last Updated On: )

By our Reporter

Queues are being slowly formed on Tuesday in Liberia’s delayed presidential runoff election between incumbent Vice President Joseph Boakai of the ruling Unity Party (UP) and football icon and now Montserrado County Senator George Weah , as polls open.

There are more than two million registered voters who are expected to cast their ballots at some 5, 280 polling centers across Liberia.

A www.newspublictrust.com Reporter, who visited some voting precincts in Monrovia, says poll workers and police and other security personnel were already at their posts hours before polls opened at 8am local time (GMT).

Unlike the first round of elections on October 10, 2017 when voters converged on polling centers as early at 4am, turnout appears to be slower so far; with many predicting a surge later in the day considering the fact that the vote is taking place just a day after the Christmas festivities.

Earlier the state radio ELBC’s Correspondents in rural Liberia reported similar gradual turnout of voters.

Liberia has a history of recording lower voter turnout than first round polls as seen in the past two post-war elections in 2005 and 2011.

This 2017 elections is crucial in Liberian democracy as it will mark the first time since 1944 that one elected President will replace another.

Outgoing President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is expected to hand-over power to the winner of the December 26, 2017 runoff.

Ahead of the presidential run-off day, Police Inspector General, Colonel Gregory Coleman announced the deployment of the Election Security Task Forces comprising of the officers of the Liberia National Police, the  Liberia Immigration Service  and the Drug Enforcement Agency throughout the country.

Some eligible voters have complained of not seeing their names on the final registration roll.

But the National Elections Commission has informed the public to contact the nearest NEC offices to address issues regarding their names.

Last Thursday, NEC issued a press release saying that all is now set for the presidential run-off elections.

There are concerns that NEC had not been able to adequately conduct voters’ education which may be blamed on the court’s proceedings that followed the October 10 polls.

At the same time, the Elections Coordinating Committee, a civil society organization and Female Journalist Association have been airing voters education on radio stations in Monrovia and other parts of the country.

Already, local and international observers from the West African regional organization, the African Union, the European Union and the Elections Coordinating Committee have deployed thousands of election observers throughout the country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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