Liberia electoral commission sets run-off date for Dec. 26

Liberia’s electoral commission chief Jerome Korkoya has announced the date of a presidential run-off poll for December 26 this year.

Last week, the Liberia Supreme Court dismissed calls for a re-run of the October 10 polls and instead ordered the electoral commission to hold the run-off on condition that the commission conducted critical reforms.

The run-off will see ex-football star George Weah face the country’s Vice-President Joseph Boakai of the ruling party. Weah led the first round of the presidential election with 38.4% against Boakai’s 28.8%. The law requires that a president gets at least half of the votes cast to win.

Liberia’s electoral commission was ordered to fully comply with the electoral management laws in conducting the run-off vote and also desist from having any of its officials speak on any matter that may affect the parties to the run-off.

Liberia Supreme Court dismisses fraud allegations, upholds re-run of October polls https://t.co/rvaPBW4kxU

— africanews (@africanews) 7 décembre 2017

These measures ordered by the judges of the Supreme Court are aimed at minimising the occurrence of irregularities, the kind of which, brought the outcome of the first round into question.

-*REUTERS*_