Former football star elected president of Liberia

Liberia's national election commission on December 28 announced that soccer star George Weah won the second round of presidential elections, marking the first democratic transfer of power in the West African country.

Mr. George Weah received support from young voters. Photo: Reuters

With more than 98% of the votes counted, Mr. Weah won an overwhelming 61.6% of the vote, far surpassing his opponent, Vice President Joseph Boakai, who had 35.8% of the vote. Mr. Weah also won the first round but did not have enough votes to win a majority.

In fact, Mr Weah's campaign has been celebrating since yesterday after polls showed him leading in the vote.

Mr. Weah will replace Ms. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberia's first elected female president and his opponent in the 2005 election. This is the first transfer of power between two elected presidents in Liberia in the past seven decades of turmoil and civil war.

Mr Weah is considered to have the support of young voters while Mr Boakai is considered too old. The football star entered Liberian politics in 2002 after retiring from sports and is currently a senator.

Voting rate on December 26 was only about 56% because the election took place during a holiday, but it went smoothly and was assessed as transparent and free.

Liberia's new president will face a daunting task. The impoverished African nation's 4.6 million people have struggled through a civil war, Ebola and corruption.

President Sirleaf, who has led Liberia for the past 12 years, has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

According to Tuoi Tre