Observers report peaceful poll in Liberian election

Oct 11, 2011, 13:33 GMT

Monrovia - Despite overnight downpours and steady drizzle, Liberians queued from early morning Tuesday to vote in the country's second presidential elections since the end of the war in 2003 - in what observers said appeared an orderly poll.

The election sees incumbent President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, awarded a Nobel Peace Prize Friday, pitted against 15 other contenders including opposition leader Winston Tubman, who is running on a ticket with former football star George Weah.

Johnson-Sirleaf is seeking a second term in office on the basis that her work stabilizing Liberia after its 14-year conflict, which ended in 2003, is not yet complete.

By the time polling stations officially opened at 8am, many people had been waiting patiently in line for two or three hours. Among them was Ophelia Peal, who cast her vote in the Red Light area of Monrovia, so-called because it was once the site of the country's only working traffic light.

'I feel proud that the vote has been peaceful so far,' she said. 'We're casting our votes and whoever becomes president will be supported by the Liberian people. Throughout the election campaign, everyone has had fun. We can't split ourselves up because of our political leanings. Whoever wins, we will continue to build Liberia the right way,' she said.

According to Alexander Bick, Director of the Election Observation Mission of the US-based Carter Center, voting materials were largely delivered on time to polling stations. 'We've been seeing long lines, with lots of people eager to cast their votes, waiting patiently underneath this mist,' he told dpa.

By mid-morning, Monrovia's roads were almost empty. A few taxis drove through town, the slow reggae beat of 'Let it be a peaceful election' drifting from their windows.

Othello Garblah, the editor of the Monrovia-based New Dawn newspaper, said a peaceful voting day was a fitting end to a week of campaigning that saw very little violence. 'For the first time in Liberia, I saw people enjoying the campaign rallies without worrying about the threat of violence,' he said. 'Compared to the last election in 2005, people seemed to be really enjoying this one and their commitment to voting is clear, even in this heavy weather.'

Campaigning for the election, which analysts say is likely to end with a runoff vote, has largely been peaceful. Besides the ruling Unity Party and Congress for Democratic Change opposition, other notable candidates include the former rebel leader Prince Johnson, responsible for the brutal execution of President Samuel Doe in 1990. Of the 16 presidential candidates, three are female.

As 22-year-old Mervin Taylor walked into the polling station, he said he's hoping for a change in government. 'The youth need more jobs and development,' he said. About 85 per cent of young Liberians are currently unemployed in formal sectors.

After being asked if he was literate by the polling station attendants, who were briefed on providing additional help to the 55 per cent of Liberians who the UN says is illiterate, he cast his vote and dipped his finger in a well of dark ink. 'This is a mark of pride,' he said.

Tuesday's vote is Liberia's first complete constitutional election in decades. Presidential polls in 2005 and 1997 were instead 'special elections' lacking some constitutional components.

In 2005, opposition frontrunner George Weah lost out to Johnson Sirleaf in the second round. Although adored by the international community, her bid for reelection has been met with criticism from some Liberians, who remind her of her 2005 promise to stand for just one term. Others fault her administration for its lack of transparency.

John Willie Forkpa, who cast his vote on the outskirts of Monrovia, said he wanted to see Johnson Sirleaf win another term in office. 'I love women in leadership,' he said. 'They are not wasteful, they are more responsible and they are like mothers. Liberia has done better under the guidance of women than that of men,' he said.

The United Nations Mission to Liberia, which currently has 14,000 troops in the country, is also headed by a woman. Special Representative Ellen Margaret Loj told