Ex-soccer star George Weah sworn in as president of Liberia

Liberia

Former African and World Footballer of the year, George Manneh Weah, has officially been sworn in as president of Liberia at a ceremony in the capital Monrovia.

The former AC Milan and Monaco forward took the oath from the Chief Justice at a packed Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex. The event was attended by about a dozen African leaders.

Wearing an all-white attire, Weah put his right hand up with his left placed on a bible held by his wife Clar Marie Weah. Weah was sworn in with his Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor, ex-wife of former Liberian president Charles Taylor who has been incarcerated for war crimes.

Weah takes the oath, becoming Liberia’s next president pic.twitter.com/ppoTqUxBo8

— Jennifer O’Mahony (@jaomahony) January 22, 2018

Weah finally won the presidency after three straight attempts. HE lost to candidate Sirleaf in 2006 when he stood as a candidate. He won the main vote and lost the run-off.

In 2011, he partnered a former U.N.-executive, Winston Turnbull, but in the capacity of a vice-presidential aspirant, that ticket was unsuccessful as Sirleaf won a second term.

George Manneh Weah will become its president – the first African footballer to achieve that feat while Ellen Johnson Sirleaf – Africa’s first democratically female president will leave office after over a decade in charge.

Weah won presidential elections last year to emerge the successor to Sirleaf beating then vice president Joseph Boakai twice in a space of three months.

In the first round of voting in October 2017, Weah came top but failed to garner the necessary votes. He went into a runoff with Boakai in December and emerged winner with over 60% of votes cast. This will be Liberia’s first democratic handover of executive power in decades.