TheCable

George Weah, retired footballer, will face Vice-President Joseph Boakai in a runoff election slated for November 7.

Jerome Korkoya, chairman of the national election commission, announced this on Sunday.

Although Weah took the lead with 39 percent of the votes and Boakai 29.1 percent, 50-percent is required to win the first round of election.

Twenty candidates contested in the election to succeed outgoing President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, who is stepping down after serving out her two terms.

Weah suffered defeat in two previous attempts but has been in government for more than three decades.

Speaking in Monrovia, capital of the country, during the weekend, Boakai expressed optimism of winning the election in the first round.

“As far as I’m concerned, I know the Unity Party is going to win the elections; nothing is going to stop it,” he had said.

“I went into the election to win, and I don’t settle for second round, I went to the polls for first round.”