The United States President, Joseph R. Biden, in his congratulatory message to President-elect, Joseph Boakai, expressed his anticipation for a collaboration to reinforce the bilateral relations between Liberia and America.
With a strong commitment to fostering international partnerships, President Biden emphasized the significance of fortifying the ties between the United States and Liberia in the years ahead.
The U.S. President, in his congratulatory statement issued in Monrovia, said, “I congratulate Joseph Boakai on his election to be the next President of Liberia.”
“These free and fair elections and presidential runoff demonstrated Liberians’ commitment to making their voices heard through the ballot box, and I look forward to working together to continue deepening the ties between our nations and people in the years ahead,” he said.
President Biden, at the same time, also commended President Weah for respecting the will of the people, and putting patriotism above politics by conceding defeat to Boakai of the opposition Unity Party (UP).
He reflected, “As we discussed at the U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit last year, the peaceful transition of power is a threshold liberty of democracy. The people of Liberia have exercised their constitutional right and demonstrated the power of that truth.”
“And they have set a clear example for West Africa and the entire world. Democracy is a powerful tool for progress, and democracies can deliver for our people,” the U.S Chief Executive added.
The statement by President Biden further showcased his administration’s dedication to diplomacy and cooperative engagement, underscoring his willingness to work closely with President-elect Boakai toward a common goal.
Additionally, such efforts also hold the potential to bolster cooperation, enhance economic ties, and foster mutual development for both countries in the years ahead for generations to come.
It can be recalled that Liberians, a people known for their selflessness, went to the polls on October 10, 2023, to overwhelmingly exercise their constitutional rights to vote the leaders of their choice.
President-elect Boakai and outgoing President George Weah and 18 other presidential candidates, battled it out for the country’s Presidency, but none of the candidates was able to obtain an outright majority of the total votes cast (50 percent plus one).
As a result, the National Elections Commission (NEC) then declared a run-off election between Weah and Boakai, who both got the highest number of votes during the October 10 polls. The run-off was held on November 14, 2023.
The run-off election was slightly won by Boakai of the opposition Unity Party (UP), after accumulating 814,481 votes, amounting to 50.64 percent, compared to Weah of the Coalition for Democratic Change’s (CDC) 793,914 votes, counting for 49.36 percent of the total valid votes cast.
President-elect Boakai served as Vice president to former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for 12 years, and has over 40 years of experience in the public sector. His election victory, according to analysis, is historic.
Mr. Boakai is now the second presidential candidate in the country to return a former ruling party (UP) to power since 1878, when former President Anthony W. Gardiner did so with the True Whig Party (TWP).
While President Weah’s loss, on the other hand, is also historic, becoming the country’s first president to fail in his re-election bid.
His defeat comes six years after he won against Boakai in the 2017 run-off, securing a decisive win with 61.5 percent.
