2017 Liberian general election

2017 Liberian elections

2017 Liberian general election

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Presidential election

|  | 10 October 2017 (first round)
26 December 2017 (second round) |

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Nominee  | George Weah | Joseph Boakai |
Party  | CDC | UP
Alliance  | CDC | —
Running mate  | Jewel Taylor | Emmanuel Nuquay
Popular vote  | 732,185 | 457,579
Percentage  | 61.54% | 38.46%

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First round results by county

Second round results by county

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| President before election

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

| Elected President

George Weah
CDC

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House of Representatives election

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All 73 seats in the House of Representatives
37 seats needed for a majority
| Party | Leader  | % | Seats  | +/–

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CDC | George Weah | 15.57  | 21  | +7
UP | Joseph Boakai | 14.32  | 20  | -4
LP | Charles Brumskine | 8.57  | 3  | -4
PUP | None | 5.87  | 5  | New
ALP | Benoni Urey | 5.00  | 3  | New
MDR | Prince Johnson | 3.69  | 2  | New
MOVEE | Joseph Jones | 3.85  | 1  | New
LTP | Kennedy Sandy | 3.22  | 1  | 0
UPP | MacDonald A. Wento | 3.08  | 1  | New
VCP | None | 1.84  | 1  | +1
LPP | Henry Fahnbulleh Jr. | 1.58  | 1  | New
LNU | Clarence Moniba | 1.31  | 1  | +1
Independents | —  | 15.59  | 13  | -2

Results by constituency

Politics of Liberia

Constitution

* 1847 Constitution
* 1986 Constitution

Executive

* President

George Weah
* Vice President

Jewel Taylor
* Cabinet

Legislature

* Senate

President Pro Tempore
* House of Representatives

Speaker

Judiciary

* Supreme Court

Chief Justice: Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh
* Human rights

Elections

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* General: 2017
* 2023

* Senate: 2014
* 2020

Political parties

* Unity Party
* Congress for Democratic Change
* Alternative National Congress
* Liberty Party

Administrative divisions

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* Clans

Foreign relations

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Minister: Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr.

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* * *

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General elections were held in Liberia on 10 October 2017 to elect the President and House of Representatives. No candidate won a majority in the first round of the presidential vote, so the top two finishers – CDC standard-bearer Amb. George Weah and UP standard-bearer Vice President Joseph Boakai – competed in a run-off on 26 December. The second round was originally scheduled for 7 November,[1] but was postponed after LP standard-bearer Cllr. Charles Brumskine, in third place, challenged the result in the Supreme Court.[2] The Supreme Court dismissed the challenge, which would have forced a re-run of the first round had it been successful,[3] and the second round was held on 26 December. Weah emerged victorious with 60% of the vote.[4]

The elections were overseen by the National Elections Commission (NEC) and were the first elections to be run entirely by the Government of Liberia and security forces since the conclusion of the civil wars in 2003.[5]

## Electoral system[edit]

The president is elected using the two-round system,[6] whilst the 73 members of the House of Representatives are elected by first-past-the-post voting in single-member constituencies.[7]

## Candidates[edit]

Incumbent President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, in office since 2006, was constitutionally barred from running for a third term; the election was therefore to choose her successor.[8]

* Joseph Boakai,[8] Vice President since January 2006
* Charles Brumskine, Leader of the Liberty Party and former President Pro Temp of the Senate[9]
* MacDella Cooper, philanthropist[10]
* Alexander B. Cummings, former executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Coca-Cola[11]
* Prince Yormie Johnson, former rebel leader[8]
* Joseph Mills Jones, leader of the Movement for Economic Empowerment and former Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia[12]
* Richard Miller, businessman
* Benoni Urey, businessman[8]
* George Weah, former footballer who was defeated by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in the 2005 election[13]
* MacDonald A. Wento, United People's Party[14]
* Jeremiah Whapoe, businessman[8]

## Opinion polls[edit]

Pollster  | Date  | Sample size  | Boakai
Unity | Weah
CDC | Johnson
FDUP | Urey
All Liberian | Brumskine
Liberty | Cooper
ULD | Cummings
ANC | Undecided

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|  |  |  |  |  |
Liberia Holding Consortium | May 2017  | 275  | 29.45%  | 21.18%  | N/A  | 11.26%  | 16%  | 0.72%  | 9.45%  | N/A
Liberia Holding Consortium | June 2017  | 484  | 36.36%  | 18.38%  | 3.92%  | 4.75%  | 13.22%  | 0.82%  | 7.02%  | 13.01%
Liberia Holding Consortium | August 2017  | 763  | 33.81%  | 21.1%  | 2.88%  | 2.49%  | 12.45%  | N/A  | 5.63%  | 13.63%
International Political Polls | August 2017  | 1,224  | 21.74%  | 24.73%  | 8.72%  | 6.38%  | 23.49%  | N/A  | 9.55%  | N/A

## Conduct[edit]

The European Union Electoral Observer Mission (EU EOM)'s preliminary statement, issued on 12 October 2017, acknowledged generally peaceful polling. However, "The EU EOM has directly observed several instances of public officials engaged in campaigning that further hampered equality among contestants. The mission has received claims about the uneven use of state resources and access to public spaces working to the advantage of the incumbent. The mission's direct observation indicates a high level of monetization of the campaign, where a culture of in-kind and financial hand-outs to communities prevails."[15]

## Results[edit]

### President[edit]

Candidate| Running mate| Party| First round| Second round

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Votes| %| Votes| %
| George Weah| Jewel Taylor| Coalition for Democratic Change| 596,037| 38.37| 732,185| 61.54
| Joseph Boakai| Emmanuel James Nuquay| Unity Party| 446,716| 28.76| 457,579| 38.46
| Charles Brumskine| Harrison S. Karnwea Sr.| Liberty Party| 149,495| 9.62|
| Prince Johnson| Audrian R. Smith-Forbes| Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction| 127,666| 8.22|
| Alexander B. Cummings Jr.| Jeremiah Sulunteh| Alternative National Congress| 112,067| 7.21|
| Benoni Urey| Alexander Nyonkon Duopu| All Liberian Party| 24,246| 1.56|
| Joseph Mills Jones| Samuel B. Reeves Jr.| Movement for Economic Empowerment| 12,854| 0.83|
| MacDella Cooper| William R. Slocum| Liberia Restoration Party| 11,645| 0.75|
| Henry Boimah Fahnbulleh| Marcus S.G. Dahn| Liberian People's Party| 11,560| 0.74|
| Oscar Cooper| Wonderr Koryenen Freeman| Independent| 10,381| 0.67|
| MacDonald A. Wento| John N. Bleah| United People's Party| 8,968| 0.58|
| Simeon C. M. Freeman| William T. Knowlden| Movement for Progressive Change| 6,682| 0.43|
| Isaac Gbombadee Wiles| Richmond D. K. Yarkpah| Democratic Justice Party| 6,379| 0.41|
| Aloysius William Kpadeh| John S. Partor| Independent| 5,922| 0.38|
| Kennedy Gbleyah Sandy| Victoria Morris Tweh| Liberia Transformation Party| 5,343| 0.34|
| George Sluwer Dweh Sr.| Annie Y. Tuazama| Redemption Democratic Congress| 4,935| 0.32|
| William Wiah Tuider| Dave L. Dixon| New Liberia Party| 4,920| 0.32|
| Jeremiah Z. Whapoe| Isaac D. G. Flowers| Vision for Liberia Transformation| 3,946| 0.25|
| Yarkpajuwur N. Mator| Ruth L. Kollie| Independent| 1,940| 0.12|
| Wendell J. E. McIntosh| Manjerngie Cecelia Ndebe| Change Democratic Action| 1,646| 0.11|
Total| 1,553,348| 100.00| 1,189,764| 100.00
Valid votes| 1,553,348| 94.61| 1,189,764| 97.67
Invalid/blank votes| 88,574| 5.39| 28,360| 2.33
Total votes| 1,641,922| 100.00| 1,218,124| 100.00
Registered voters/turnout| 2,183,629| 75.19| 2,183,629| 55.78
Source: NEC NEC

### House of Representatives[edit]

Party| Votes| %| Seats| +/–

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| Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC–NPP–LPDP)| 239,754| 15.57| 21| +7
| Unity Party| 220,508| 14.32| 20| −4
| Liberty Party| 131,980| 8.57| 3| −4
| Alternative National Congress| 93,475| 6.07| 0| New
| People's Unification Party| 90,421| 5.87| 5| New
| All Liberian Party| 77,013| 5.00| 3| New
| Movement for Economic Empowerment| 59,268| 3.85| 1| New
| Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction| 56,734| 3.69| 2| New
| Coalition for Liberia's Progress| 50,732| 3.30| 0| New
| Liberia Transformation Party| 49,621| 3.22| 1| 0
| United People's Party| 47,357| 3.08| 1| New
| Victory for Change Party| 28,385| 1.84| 1| +1
| Liberian People's Party| 24,287| 1.58| 1| New
| Vision for Liberia Transformation| 21,324| 1.39| 0| New
| Grassroot Democratic Party of Liberia| 20,588| 1.34| 0| 0
| Liberia National Union| 20,227| 1.31| 1| +1
| Movement for Progressive Change| 19,980| 1.30| 0| −2
| True Whig Party| 14,723| 0.96| 0| New
| Liberia Restoration Party| 11,690| 0.76| 0| New
| Democratic Justice Party| 7,415| 0.48| 0| New
| Change Democratic Action| 7,166| 0.47| 0| New
| Redemption Democratic Congress| 5,731| 0.37| 0| New
| Liberians for Prosperity| 628| 0.04| 0| New
| New Liberia Party| 494| 0.03| 0| New
| Independents| 240,001| 15.59| 13| −2
Total| 1,539,502| 100.00| 73| 0
Valid votes| 1,539,502| 94.86|
Invalid/blank votes| 83,427| 5.14|
Total votes| 1,622,929| 100.00|
Registered voters/turnout| 2,183,629| 74.32|
Source: NEC, NEC, Carter Center

## References[edit]

1. ^ Liberia election: Weah and Boakai headed for presidential run-off BBC News, 16 October 2017
2. ^ Liberia presidential vote halted by country's Supreme Court BBC News, 1 November 2017
3. ^ Liberian authorities tight-lipped over run-off and electoral roll clean-up Radio France International, 11 December 2017
4. ^ George Weah elected Liberian president BBC News, 28 December 2017
5. ^ 'Everything is going to plan' – Liberians vote in first election run without UN The Guardian, 11 October 2017
6. ^ Liberia IFES
7. ^ Electoral system IPU
8. ^ a b c d e Liberia's election threatens its fragile stability Financial Times, 8 April 2016
9. ^ Liberia's Brumskine Outlines Vision for 2017 Presidential Bid VOA, 17 July 2015
10. ^ First 2017 Female Presidential Aspirant Archived 12 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine Liberian Observer, 18 October 2016
11. ^ Alexander B. Cummings – The free-marketeer presidential candidate hoping to transform Liberia International Business Times, 23 January 2017
12. ^ Dr. Mills Jones Calls on Liberians to Elect Talented People in Office Archived 7 September 2017 at the Wayback Machine Front Page Africa
13. ^ Liberia ex-footballer George Weah to run for president again BBC News, 28 April 2016
14. ^ UPP will not accept foreign money Archived 1 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine The New Dawn, 19 June 2017
15. ^ Preliminary statement: Liberians mobilise for a democratic transition in elections, with scope for legal and procedural improvements European Union Election Observation Mission, 12 October 2017

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See also: Elections and referendums in the Republic of Maryland
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