‘Iron Lady’ Leads in Liberia Poll

Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is in the lead in Liberia’s first presidential election after the end of 14 years of civil war.

She has 58% of the vote, with results in from 80% of polling stations. Her rival, ex-football star George Weah, is trailing with 42%.

He has alleged fraud during the run-off and criticised the election commission.

The head of the UN mission declared the vote “peaceful and transparent”. If elected, Mrs Johnson-Sirleaf would be Africa’s first elected female leader.

Mr Weah has filed an official complaint alleging fraud and National Elections Commission (NEC) Chairwoman Francis Johnson-Morris - no relation to Mrs Johnson-Sirleaf - said:

“We will do everything to expedite the investigation into this complaint.”

Overnight, hundreds of Weah supporters gathered outside the headquarters of his Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) party, chanting “No Weah, no peace.”

Reuters news agency reports that UN peacekeepers used batons to break up a crowd of Weah activists.

Many of Liberia’s 100,000 ex-combatants from all sides backed Mr Weah in the election.

The BBC’s Mark Doyle in the capital, Monrovia, says the tone of the election, which international observers had said was broadly free and fair, is deteriorating.

‘Evidence’

The former AC Milan and Chelsea star, however, urged his supporters “to remain calm for the sake of peace” until investigations into the alleged fraud are completed.

Mr Weah showed ballot papers to journalists, which he said had been pre-marked for Mrs Johnson-Sirleaf, known as the “Iron Lady” and given to election officials to cast.

“The world is saying this election was free and fair, which was not true,” he said at a news conference.

The election was more subdued than in the first round, when voters swamped polling booths, queuing for hours under the blazing sun. Turnout is 63% from those polling station which have declared - against 75% last month.

Liberians have been glued to their radios, listening to initial preliminary results coming in from individual polling stations.

Gender divide

With much of the country’s infrastructure destroyed during the war, final results could take up to a week to come in from remote areas.

Mr Weah is the best-known Liberian in the world and came top in the first round of voting, with 28% of ballots cast.

He represents success for a country blighted by decades of war and has the support of most young men - especially the ex-combatants.

Our correspondent says as a political candidate his feel-good factor is immense. But his opponents say that is as far as it goes.

They say he is young, inexperienced and surrounded by political opportunists.

They say Mrs Johnson-Sirleaf, 67, a former World Bank economist, is better qualified for the job.

The grandmother received 20% of the vote in the first round and is popular with women and the educated elite.