The Weah-Boakai runoff was triggered after no single candidate gained more than 50 percent of votes, though Weah topped the poll. Lawyers for the NEC argued the date and timing of the runoff was enshrined in the constitution and could not be altered for any legal complaint. Liberia’s 2005 and 2011 elections also ended in disputes lodged by Weah’s CDC party, though only 2011’s reached the Supreme Court. Liberty Party Chairman Benjamin Sanvee told AFP: “You can never tell because this is the Supreme Court, but we believe we presented our case well.”The NEC was not immediately available for comment following the hearing. The country emerged from the bloodshed with the election in 2005 of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf — Africa’s first elected woman president.

Source: GNN Liberia November 03, 2017 20:37 UTC