Yesterday Sunday November 12 was the last day of campaigning in Liberia before Tuesday’s presidential run-off. It will pit incumbent President George Weah against Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s former Vice-president, Joseph Boakai. They won 43.83% and 43.44% of the vote respectively.
The atmosphere is much more monotonous than in the first round. Last October 2023, there were several ballots at stake, and therefore many “small” candidates who livened up the streets of the capital almost every day.
For the second round, things are totally different. Only two posters lined the walls of the capital: that of George Weah – the incumbent president – and that of Joseph Boakai, the challenger whose results were close on his rival’s heels.
There were no big rallies during this campaign for the second round. There has been very little tension and no violence reported in recent weeks, unlike the campaign for the first round when at least four deaths were recorded.
Weah’s and Boakai’s staff teams have adopted the same strategy: door-to-door community outreach.
The two closing rallies took place over the weekend. On Saturday November 11, downtown Monrovia was taken over by militants wearing green T-shirts bearing the effigy of Joseph Boakai, and on Sunday November 12, it was the turn of supporters of the outgoing president, George Weah, to mobilize in the streets, culminating in a closing concert in the early evening.