2011 Liberian general election

2011 Liberian general election were held in the West African republic on 11 October and 8 November. The polls, which included voting for the President of Liberia and the House of Representatives, were the second to be held since the end of the Second Liberian Civil War. Incumbent President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of the Unity Party sought re-election against a field of fifteen other candidates, most notably Winston Tubman of the Congress for Democratic Change with running mate George Weah. The election was conducted under the supervision of the National Elections Commission and observed by international missions including the ECOWAS and the European Union.

Background

The elections followed the 2005 post-war polls that had brought Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's first elected female head of state, to power. Her first term focused on reconstruction, debt relief negotiated with the International Monetary Fund, and maintaining peace under the UNMIL peacekeeping umbrella. A key political development was the 2009 report by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which recommended a 30-year ban from public office for Sirleaf for her early support of Charles Taylor; this created a contentious pre-election atmosphere. The legal framework was governed by the 1986 Constitution and the New Elections Law of 1986.

Candidates and parties

Sixteen candidates registered for the presidential race. The incumbent, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, was nominated by the ruling Unity Party, with Joseph Boakai as her vice-presidential candidate. Her main challenger was Winston Tubman, a former United Nations diplomat and nephew of former President William Tubman, who headed the opposition Congress for Democratic Change ticket with football legend George Weah as his running mate. Other notable contenders included Prince Johnson of the National Union for Democratic Progress, Charles Brumskine of the Liberty Party, and Dew Mayson of the Free Democratic Party. Numerous parties also contested the 73 seats in the House of Representatives.

Campaign

The campaign was heated and at times violent. Sirleaf's platform, "The Agenda for Transformation," emphasized continued economic growth, infrastructure projects like the Mount Coffee Hydropower Project, and her recent awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize. The Congress for Democratic Change coalition, criticizing Sirleaf's government for corruption and unemployment, held large rallies in Monrovia. Tensions escalated dramatically on 7 November, when Winston Tubman called for an election boycott, alleging fraud. This led to a fatal clash between opposition protesters and the Liberian National Police in the Congo Town area, drawing condemnation from ECOWAS and the African Union.

Results

In the first round on 11 October, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf led with 43.9% of the vote, short of the 50% plus one required for outright victory. Winston Tubman placed second with 32.7%. Prince Johnson secured a surprising 11.6%, making his Nimba County support crucial. In the House of Representatives polls, no party won a majority, with the Unity Party gaining the most seats. Ahead of the 8 November runoff, Tubman's boycott call drastically reduced turnout. Sirleaf won the second round in a landslide, capturing 90.7% of the vote and carrying all 15 counties, including Montserrado County.

Aftermath

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was inaugurated for her second term in January 2012. The opposition's boycott and the violent protests marred the process but did not trigger a major crisis, partly due to swift mediation by ECOWAS and the African Union. The elections solidified the post-war democratic trajectory, though they highlighted enduring divisions. Sirleaf's second term would see challenges including the 2014 Ebola outbreak and continued efforts at national reconciliation, setting the stage for the subsequent 2017 Liberian general election which saw the first peaceful transfer of power in decades.

Category:2011 elections in Africa Category:Presidential elections in Liberia Category:2011 in Liberia