Liberia Polls: George Weah taking early lead in presidential poll results

By Oluyemi Oyeniran 

Partial results from Liberia’s presidential election show former football star George Weah has taken an early lead.

Figures from the National Elections Commission put Mr. Weah ahead in 11 out of 15 countries although most votes are yet to be counted.

His main rival, incumbent vice-president Joseph Bvakai, leads in one county and is second in most others.

A candidate needs more than 50 percent of the votes for outright victory and if no one achieves that a second round will be held in November.

The election is to choose a successor to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first elected female president and a Nobel peace laureate.