AU, Ecowas, EU hail Liberia for peaceful, transparent election: summary 

What we know

• The presidential run-off between President George Weah and his major competitor Joseph Boakai was held on November 14. 
• Though generally peaceful, there were reports of low voter turnout and pockets of violence in some voting centres which resulted in the death of two, the Sierra Leonne Times reported.
• International observers including the African Union (AU), European Union (EU), and Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) have described the process as generally peaceful and transparent.
• The interim result released by the National Elections Commission indicates a slight lead for Boaki with 50.71% while President Weah follows with 49.29%, GNN Liberia has reported.

What they said

The AU and Ecowas election observer mission in a joint post-election press statement expressed “admiration for the voters’ discipline, patience and peaceful conduct, in spite of the long queues observed in most precincts. They particularly commend the women and the youth for the show of patriotism and commitment to democracy by turning out in large numbers to vote.” The EU chief observer, Andreas Schieder said, “The Liberian voters demonstrated commitment to the democratic process by participating in great numbers in the General Elections on Tuesday. The technical preparations and running of the election day were well administered. While the campaign was largely peaceful and vibrant, and the press free to cover all sides of the campaign…” Former president of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan said, “I think it’s going on well and I am happy with the peaceful environment. Of all the polling stations I have visited, [it] has been quite peaceful.” The former U.S. Ambassador to Liberia, Linda Thomas-Greenfield has also added, “At each step of this election, Liberians from all walks of life have expressed their desire for Liberia to become a beacon of peaceful citizen-centred democratic governance in the region.”