President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia. Photo Credit: Pinterest
Liberia
The 2017 Liberia general elections are scheduled for October 10th and will see Liberians cast their votes to elect the 73 members of the House of Representatives and a new president. 78-year old incumbent President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who became Africa’s first elected female president in 2005, will be stepping down from office.
The 2017 presidential elections will feature several titans of Liberian politics, including former FIFA World Player of the Year, George Weah, who lost to Sirleaf in 2005. Weah, a serving senator, can count on his popularity with Liberian youths to win the vote. He will however be challenged by incumbent Vice President, Joseph Boakai, who hopes to run on his principal’s record in office.
A number of female presidential candidates are also scheduled to be on the ballot, including Jewel Howard-Taylor, the ex-wife of former Liberian President Charles Taylor and 40-year-old Macdella Cooper, a former fashion model turned politician.
Liberia elects its president using a two-round system, while members of the House of Representatives are elected by a first-past-the-post voting system.
