A day after the presidential runoff elections in Liberia, the National Elections Commission (NEC) today Friday, November 15, 2023 began releasing the consolidated provisional tally result, with the main opposition Unity Party (UP) candidate Joseph Boakai taking an early lead.
Weah (Left) and Boakai (Right)
NEC Chairperson Davidetta Browne Lansanah said that the first result represents 1, 315 of the 5,980 polling places for various counties around the country.
Boakai, who is former Liberian Vice President is at 50.71%, while incumbent President George Weah of the ruling CDC trails with 49.29%.
NEC Chairperson Browne Lansanah says more results will be announced tomorrow, Thursday.
NEC on Tuesday, October 24, 2023 declared that none of the two top presidential candidates was able to get the 50% plus one vote constitutionally required to win the first round of the October 10 election. This is the requirement of Liberia’s 1986 Constitution.
“Article 83 a. Voting for the President, Vice-President, members of the Senate and members of the House of Representatives shall be conducted throughout the Republic on the second Tuesday in October of each election year.
- All elections of public officers shall be determined by an absolute majority of the votes cast. If no candidate obtains an absolute majority in the first ballot, a second ballot shall be conducted on the second Tuesday following. The two candidates who received the greatest numbers of votes on the first ballot shall be designated to participate in the run-off election.