Liberian electoral commission declares Johnson-Sirleaf winner

The Liberian Electoral Commission has declared President Johnson-Sirleaf the winner of the presidential run-off election. In a statement in Monrovia, the Chairman of the commission, Elizabeth Nelson, said Johnson-Sirleafs Unity Party beat the Congress for Democratic Change in the run-off that was boycotted by the opposition party. The statement was signed by the chairman of the commission.The News Agency of Nigeria quotes the chairman as saying: "My fellow citizens, based on the results of the Nov. 8, 2011 Presidential run-off election, duly certified by the Board of Commissioners of the National Elections Commission. "And by virtue of the authority vested in me as acting Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the NEC, I do hereby declare Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Ambassador Joseph Nyuma Boakai as President-Elect and Vice-President Elect respectively of the Republic of Liberia.Nelson said the results were compiled and announced based on Article 83(b) of the 1986 Constitution of Liberia, which was amended during the Aug. 23, National Referendum. Nelson said: "The NEC, on Oct. 25, 2011 began the process of conducting a run-off election to elect a President and a Vice-President of Liberia. "The run-off election became necessary when none of the 16 presidential candidates that contested the Oct. 11, 2011 elections received the required absolute majority to be declared winner on the First Ballot."Consequently, the two parties with the highest valid votes, Unity Party and the Congress for Democratic Change, were designated to contest the run-off election.The chairman said the commission had not received any complaint on the Nov. 8, 2011, run-off presidential election, while it had disposed 48 out of the 53 complaints received in the general elections on October 11, 2011.
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