Liberian opposition leader Joseph Boakai is holding a slight lead in a run-off election with 50.6% of the vote over President George Weah's 49.4% after tallied results from about 87% of polling stations, the West African country's elections commission said on Thursday evening.
The two frontrunners failed to secure more than 50% of votes cast in a first round of voting in the October10 general election with Weah receiving 43.79% of the votes, while Boakai took 43.49%, according to tallied results from 98.4% of polling places.
The runoff is a rematch of the 2017 second round in which Weah, surfing on a wave of popular support, defeated Boakai with 61.54%.
He won on the promise to tackle corruption and improve livelihoods in the West African nation that is still emerging from two civil wars between 1989 and 2003, and the 2013-16 Ebola epidemic that killed thousands.
But some voters have become disenchanted over Weah's performance, particularly on corruption, high rate of youth unemployment, food inflation, and general economic hardship.
Ahead of the runoff vote, both candidates received endorsements from losing candidates from the first round.
Vote counting is still ongoing with the electoral umpire yet to announce a final result.
