The African Union said Monday it “congratulates” Joseph Boakai for his election as president of Liberia, while it “hails the statesmanship” of incumbent George Weah, who conceded in defeat.
Veteran politician Boakai was declared winner by the electoral commission late Monday with 50.64 percent of the final vote, against 49.36 percent of the vote for Weah, a football legend, who conceded on Friday.
AU chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat also called on “all parties to continue to display maturity and embrace dialogue to consolidate democracy”.
Concerns for peace and order during the election were high at a time when democracy in the region has been undermined by a succession of coup d’etats.
Military forces have seized power by force in recent years in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Niger.
The election comes 20 years after the last civil war in Liberia, which saw more than 250,000 killed between 1989 and 2003.
AFP
