Liberia President George Weah and opposition candidate Joseph Boakai are in a tight race for the presidential election results, with nearly three-quarters of the vote results announced. The National Elections Commission announced that Weah leads narrowly with 43.8%, while Boakai gets 43.5%. The announcement comes as the West African regional bloc Ecowas warns against premature victories and calls for peace as all parties await the results. Weah plans to run for a second term, while Boakai, who came second in the last elections, is a deputy to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
The winner must receive at least 50% of the vote to avoid a run-off election. Liberians will go to the polls on 10 October to elect the president, House of Representatives, and half the Senate. About 2.4 million people have registered to vote for the elections, with 19 candidates running for president, including 19 women. Weah will take over for the first elected female president in Africa, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
