Low turnout mars Liberia’s presidential runoff

By Evelyn Kpadeh Seagbeh

MONROVIA, Liberia

Liberians on Tuesday voted in a delayed presidential runoff election, marred by low turnout, to replace the country’s incumbent President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

The runoff election which was previously scheduled for November 7, 2017 was delayed due to legal battles at the Supreme Court, where 3rd place Presidential candidate Charles Brumskine filed complaints of alleged frauds in the first round of voting.

The polls on Tuesday are characterized by low enthusiasm compared to the first round of voting on Oct. 10, when none of the 20 presidential candidates could obtain the required 50 percent of the vote for an outright victory.

The country’s former football star George Weah and current vice president Joseph Boakai are tightly contesting to replace the outgoing president, whose two terms of six years each comes to an in early January.

Brumskine filed the complaints accusing the country’s election commission of being involved in "gross frauds and irregularities", and called for the return of the entire polls.

However, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the election commission, but outlined eight-point recommendations for the conduct of the runoff polls.

The recommendations included correction in registered voter lists and training of poll workers.

Although Liberians are today choosing between just two candidates -- the former soccer star and the current vice President -- some of the voters said they are voting for improvement in the country‘s educational system and stability of the country’s economy.

The economy of Liberia has become tight, with the country experiencing record hike in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollars against the Liberian dollar -- 1 US Dollars equivalent to 128 Liberian dollars.

The prices of gasoline and other petroleum products including basic commodities have sharply increased in the country having 80 percent of the population below poverty line.

“Majority of our people’s rights are not fulfilled because of the lack of good education system, lack of jobs opportunities and lack of roads infrastructure. There are lots of things that people are angry of.

“But for me, I am not voting because I am hurt. I am voting because I want a better life for my daughter and Liberia,” Junior Pewee Russian, a Liberian athlete told Anadolu Agency.