Joseph Boakai will be officially inaugurated as President of Liberia on Monday, January 22. He will succeed George Weah for a six-year term after winning the October 2023 presidential election, the closest in the country’s history.
The inauguration ceremony will take place at the Capitol, the seat of government, and will be attended by several dignitaries and Heads of State, including the presidents of Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria. A modest inauguration for a president eager to set a new style.
In December, Liberia’s new president, Joseph Boakai, declared that he wanted a simple ceremony. Instead of a large stadium, as was the case for his predecessor George Weah at his inauguration, he invited Liberians to Capitol Hill, the seat of government.
Public funds,” he said, “are better spent meeting Liberia’s challenges than on lavish festivities. A way of setting an example. Since his victory, Boakai has made the fight against corruption one of his priorities. Liberians are now waiting for him to turn the corner. There is a feeling of déjà vu. George Weah made the same speech but not the same promises, observers point out.
Boakai will also have the task of uniting a divided country after one of the closest elections in its history.