Liberians on Friday feted former football star George Weah‘s presidential victory in the country’s first democratic transfer of power in seven decades scarred by civil wars, political assassinations and an Ebola crisis.
Weah, idolised in Liberia as “Mister George”, is set to replace Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who took over in 2006 at the helm of the West African state founded by freed US slaves. He will be sworn in on January 22.
The 51-year-old starred at top-flight European clubs Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan in the 1990s, before briefly playing for Chelsea and Manchester City toward the end of his career.
Weah, who entered politics after retiring from football in 2002, easily beat Vice President Joseph Boakai in Thursday’s run-off vote, gaining 61.5% of the ballot against 38.5% for his rival.
Weah won in 14 of Liberia’s 15 counties.
“My fellow Liberians, I deeply feel the emotion of the entire nation. I measure the importance and the responsibility of the immense task which I embrace today. Change is on,” Weah said on Twitter.
READ: Weah supporters party through the night on election win
Boakai conceded defeat on Friday and said he had called Weah to congratulate him.
He also appealed for unity, saying: “My love for the country is far (more) profound than my desire for the presidency.
“I reject any temptation of imposing pain, hardship, agony and uncertainty,” he said. “My name will not be used as (an) excuse for one drop of human blood to be spilt in this country.”
French President Emmanuel Macron hailed the ex-star striker’s victory.
His former club Paris Saint-Germain tweeted, “We knew George Weah way before he became President-elect of Liberia.
“I’ve never been so happy in all my life. We were in opposition for 12 years. We’re going to make history, like the children of South Africa did,” said Josephine Davies, vice president of the youth wing of Weah’s Congress for Democratic Change.
Sirleaf’s office said it had set up a team “for the proper management and orderly transfer of executive power from one democratically elected president to another”, adding that it included several ministers.
