Football stars, Liberians hail Weah's election win
Date
12/30/2017 5:15:12 PM
(MENAFN- Gulf Times) International
football stars and Liberians on Friday celebrated George Weah's
presidential victory in the West African country's first democratic
transfer of power after two devastating civil wars, as the former ace
striker vowed to usher in change.
Idolised in Liberia as 'Mister
George, Weah is set to replace Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who in 2006 took
over the country founded by freed US slaves.
He will be sworn in on January 22.
The
51-year-old, who grew up in grinding poverty, starred at European
giants Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan in the 1990s, before briefly
playing for Chelsea and Manchester City toward the end of his career.
He entered politics after retiring from football in 2002.
Electoral
board president Jerome Korkoya confirmed Weah's run-off victory late on
Friday evening, following an official tally of results.
'I, acting
on behalf of the board of commissioners, do hereby declare the
presidential ticket of Senator George Weah and Jewel Howard-Taylor as
the winner from the December 26, 2017 presidential run-off election,
Korkoya said.
Weah easily beat Vice-President Joseph Boakai in
Thursday's run-off vote, gaining 61.5% of the ballot against 38.5% for
his rival and winning in 14 of Liberia's 15 counties.
'My fellow
Liberians, I deeply feel the emotion of all the nation. I measure the
importance and the responsibility of the immense task which I embrace
today. Change is on, Weah said on Twitter.
Boakai conceded defeat on Friday and said he had called Weah to congratulate him.
He also appealed for unity, saying: 'My love for the country is far (more) profound than my desire for the presidency.
'I
reject any temptation of imposing pain, hardship, agony and
uncertainty, he said. 'My name will not be used as (an) excuse for one
drop of human blood to be spilt in this country.
The White House in a
statement congratulated 'the people of Liberia ... and President-elect
George Weah on his victory and called the vote 'a major milestone for
Liberia's democracy.
French President Emmanuel Macron also hailed
the ex-star striker's victory, saying: 'Congratulations to Mister George
for this election! Great moment for Liberia!
He also invited Weah to visit France and the invitation had been accepted, Macron's office said.
His
former club Paris Saint-Germain tweeted: 'We knew George Weah way
before he became President-elect of Liberia. Congrats to the PSG and
world football legend on the latest chapter of his brilliant career!!!
Tributes
poured in from former Chelsea star Didier Drogba, Manchester City
midfielder Yaya Toure and Marseille's former Cameroon midfielder
Stephane Mbia.
AC Milan offered their congratulations 'to the Red and Black legend who starred for the club over four seasons.
Weah was already facing pressure on Friday to improve the lives of millions of Liberians living in abject poverty.
'I
think the Liberian people will expect ... Weah's presidency to (have a)
pro-poor, pro-growth policy that will put the people at the centre of
national development. Wherein that power is given to the people; the
provision of education, youth training for disadvantaged and vulnerable
youths that are on the streets and who see themselves in him, said
political analyst Vita Ishmael Tue.
Clinton Taryor from Weah's CDC
party added: 'Mr. President, don't forget your roots. We are not behind
you because you're handsome or because you are a star ... some of us are
behind you because we know that you walked in our shoes.
The
tumultuous events of the past 70 years in Liberia, where an estimated
250,000 people died during back-to-back civil wars between 1989-2003,
have prevented a democratic handover from taking place since 1944.
Sirleaf's
predecessor Charles Taylor fled the country in 2003, hoping to avoid
prosecution for funding rebel groups in neighbouring Sierra Leone.
Two presidents who served prior to Taylor were assassinated.
The
Sirleaf administration guided the nation out of the ruins of war and
through the horrors of the 2014-16 Ebola crisis, but is accused of
failing to combat poverty and corruption.
Boakai, who served in
Sirleaf's government for 12 years, was 'riding on a ticket with excess
baggage, Liberian daily Frontpage Africa said on Friday.
'In the
eyes of many, nepotism, corruption, waste, and a messy educational
system have dogged the government's legacy, and its by-product is a
shrinking economy, it said.
Weah, the only African ever to have won
both FIFA's World Player of the Year and the coveted Ballon D'Or, missed
out on the presidency in a 2005 bid.
His latest campaign was not without controversy, however.
He
has drawn some criticism for picking Howard-Taylor, the powerful
ex-wife of former warlord and president Charles Taylor, as his
vice-president.
Taylor is serving a 50-year sentence in jail for war crimes.
Weah
also had the backing of a notorious former warlord Prince Johnson, who
sipped a beer as his men brutally tortured former president Samuel
Kanyon Doe to death.
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