Mahama Congratulates Liberia For Peaceful Polls

Former president John Mahama has called on Liberians to come together to build the country after its peaceful presidential polls that saw former footballer, George Oppong Weah elected as president.

He congratulated Mr. Weah and his contender, Joseph Bokai for the “great sportsmanship exhibited.”

John Mahama, who was the head of the ECOWAS observer mission for the election, said he was optimistic that “we can make our regional organization a strong and vibrant one in the affairs of our countries.”

Read Mahama’s post below:

Who is George Weah?

George Weah, who was raised in a slum in Liberia’s capital Monrovia, starred at top-flight European football clubs Paris St-Germain (PSG) and AC Milan, before ending his career in England with brief stays at Chelsea and Manchester City.

He is the only African footballer to have won both Fifa World Player of the Year and the prestigious Ballon D’Or.

He entered politics after his retirement from the game in 2002 and is currently a senator in Liberia’s parliament.

His former club, PSG, congratulated him on Twitter.

Background

Liberia, founded by freed US slaves in the 19th Century, has not had a smooth transfer of power from one elected president to another since 1944.

Mrs Sirleaf defeated Mr Weah in the presidential election run-off in 2005 and took office a year later, after the end of a brutal civil war that saw President Charles Taylor forced out by rebels.

Taylor is now serving a 50-year prison sentence in the UK for war crimes related to the conflict in neighbouring Sierra Leone.

This time Mr Weah’s campaign – under the Coalition for Democratic Change banner – appealed to the youth vote, while incumbent Vice-President Boakai was seen as old and out of touch.

But Mr Weah’s election is not without controversy, as his running mate was Jewel Taylor, former wife of the jailed president.

Source: Citifmonline