At the end of the year, Liberia will elect its president. If George Weah has always been popular, his policy has been much criticized in recent months. Will he succeed in breaking the deadlock?
In recent months, George Weah has perhaps let himself go a little too much. In November, the president of Liberia flew abroad. On the menu, forty days of visits devoted to international politics and the economy in several foreign countries. But at the beginning of December, the head of state was found in the spans of the stadiums of the football World Cup, in which his son was participating for the United States. What tense the populations of Liberia and whet the appetites of its opponents.
On October 12, 2023, Liberians will head to the polls for a general election. In addition to the legislative and senatorial, they will have to elect their new president. A vote that promises to be undecided. Admittedly, Weah has always enjoyed a rather high popularity rating, due to his former football star status. The former footballer, however, will have to present his record at the head of the country during the campaign.
The lesson of the last senatorials
And the latter is not good. More than a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line and the war in Ukraine has caused a spike in the price of foodstuffs, such as rice.
Joseph Boakai, former vice president of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, knows he will be able to ride the anti-Weah wave. The Unity Party candidate had, in the second round in 2017, managed to garner 38,46% of the vote. At the end of 2023, we should end up with the same duel.
For his part, Weah and his vice-president Jewel Howard-Taylor still hope to be able to succeed themselves. Still, the former Ballon d'Or will have to be as good in attack as in defense. In 2020, during the last major election in Liberia – senatorials – the Congress for Democratic Change had struggled to reach 28% of votes in its favour. The opposition had come together in a coalition to counter the formation of George Weah.