Liberia Swears In Boakai As New President Today 

Liberia Swears In Boakai As New President Today

Joseph Boakai is set to assume the presidency in Liberia today, having secured victory over former football star George Weah, with the task of addressing poverty and corruption in the country.

The 79-year-old emerged as the winner in November’s run-off poll, narrowly defeating Weah by garnering 50.64% of the votes compared to Weah’s 49.36%. Weah conceded defeat in November 2023.

The inauguration for his six-year term will take place in Monrovia’s parliament at 10:00 am (1000 GMT) in the presence of various foreign leaders and diplomatic delegations.

With a wealth of political experience spanning 40 years, Boakai previously served as vice president from 2006 to 2018 under Liberia’s first female president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, before experiencing a loss to Weah in the 2017 election.

The peaceful nature of November’s poll in Liberia is particularly noteworthy given the recent history of military coups in neighboring countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Niger.

The inauguration ceremony in parliament saw the attendance of Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo and US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield.