Liberia’s new president, George Weah, is not without controversy
Monrovia — Liberians reveled in former football star George Weah’s presidential victory on Friday, 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. Weah starred at top-flight European clubs Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan in the 1990s, before briefly playing for Chelsea and Manchester City towards the end of his career. He entered politics after retiring from football in 2002, easily beating his rival vice-president Joseph Boakai in Thursday’s run-off vote. With almost all ballots counted, National Election Commission (NEC) president Jerome Korkoya said final results would be released on Friday, but Weah wasted no time in acknowledging his win. "My fellow Liberians, I deeply feel the emotion of all the nation. I measure th...
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