Christmas to be ‘postponed’ in Liberia until after election runoff

Liberians would have to hold off Christmas festivities until after the runoff elections on December 26 which will usher in a new president.

The day after Christmas day was chosen for the rerun election by the West African country’s National Elections Commission following last week’s Supreme Court ruling that threw out the case of electoral fraud in October’s first round polls.

READ ALSO: 8 Reasons Liberia Should Be at the Top of Your Travel Bucket List

Presidential candidate Charles Brumskine who came third challenged the results in court with the backing of Vice President and candidate Joseph Boakai. This delayed the second round.

On December 26, former footballer and the favourite in the first round election Senator George Weah will stand head-to-head with Vice President Joseph Boakai in the polls that will determine the successor of Africa’s first elected female president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf exhausted her two-term limit and honourably decided to step down per the constitution of the country that is moving on after a horrifying civil war.

20 presidential candidates including the only female candidate former model Macdella Cooper contested in the October 10 elections.

READ ALSO: Meet Macdella Cooper, Former Refugee & Liberia’s Only Female Presidential Candidate

It went into the second round because none of the candidates secured the required 50% absolute majority of votes.

Election campaigns for the December 26 two-man race have started since the date was announced by the NEC.

2,183,683 people are expected to vote at 5,390 voting centres across the country in 2080 voting precincts.

The timing of the election clashes with the Christmas festivities which are expected to resume after the elections.

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