Liberia is set to conduct general elections on October 10 to elect a president, the House of Representatives, and half of the Senate.
Electoral System
The president is elected directly through an absolute majority vote in a maximum of two rounds, and is eligible to serve two six-year terms. The presidential race winner must obtain at least 50% of the total votes, along with one extra vote, to prevent a runoff.
The Senate consists of 30 members who are elected directly from two-seat constituencies through a simple majority vote. Elections for the Senate are staggered so that one seat in each constituency is contested, followed by the second seat three years later, after which a six-year break is taken before the cycle repeats.
As for the House of Representatives, all 73 members are elected via direct plurality vote within single-seat constituencies for six-year terms.
Presidential Candidates
In Liberia's presidential election on Tuesday, 19 candidates are vying for the seat of President George Weah, who is seeking a second term in office.
Weah, a former professional soccer player, is seeking re-election under the Coalition for Democratic Change with a renewed pledge to fulfill the objectives outlined when he initially declared his candidacy in 2017.
Weah won his first presidential election in the second round with 61.5% of the votes, defeating Joseph Boakai of the Unity Party.
He has constructed medical facilities and introduced free education in the nation that continues to recuperate from two distressful civil wars that spanned from 1989 to 2003, as well as a 2013-16 Ebola outbreak that caused numerous fatalities. However, since his electoral victory, he has faced repeated criticism from those who claim that Liberia is still facing challenges, including various economic issues and corruption.
Weah's campaign rests on maintaining macroeconomic stability in Liberia despite challenges such as the conflict in Ukraine, high inflation, and weakened demand in advanced economies, according to the World Bank.
Joseph Boakai, the runner-up in the 2017 presidential election, is vying for the presidency in the upcoming elections. Boakai previously held the position of vice president from 2006 to 2018, serving under President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. He also served as Minister of Agriculture from 1983 to 1985.
He is campaigning on a platform centered on improving infrastructure, investing in agriculture, attracting investors to the country, promoting Liberia as a tourist destination, and restoring the image of the nation.
Among Weah's main rivals is also Alexander B. Cummings Jr., the former chief administrative officer of Coca-Cola (2008-2016) and fifth-place finisher in the 2017 election, who is running for the top job as the Alternative National Congress candidate.
Sara Beysolow Nyanti, an international development and humanitarian expert who recently retired from the United Nations at the level of assistant secretary-general, is currently running as the standard bearer of the African Liberation League.
Tiawan Gongloe, a human rights lawyer, described his run for the presidency as a "breath of fresh air." The former chief government prosecutor and labor minister under president Sirleaf from 2006 to 2010, pledged to assist the poorest, improve educational accessibility, and eradicate corruption.