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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| Liberia votes to choose Ellen Johnson Sirleaf successor | Liberia votes to choose Ellen Johnson Sirleaf successor |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Liberians are going to the polls to choose a successor to Africa's first elected female president and Nobel Peace laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. | Liberians are going to the polls to choose a successor to Africa's first elected female president and Nobel Peace laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. |
| Ex-football star George Weah and Vice-President Joseph Boakai are the main contenders in the race to succeed her. | Ex-football star George Weah and Vice-President Joseph Boakai are the main contenders in the race to succeed her. |
| Liberia, founded by freed US slaves in the 19th Century, has not had a smooth transfer of power in 73 years. | Liberia, founded by freed US slaves in the 19th Century, has not had a smooth transfer of power in 73 years. |
| Ms Sirleaf urged people to vote peacefully in a nation still recovering from a 14-year civil war. | Ms Sirleaf urged people to vote peacefully in a nation still recovering from a 14-year civil war. |
| "Your vote is about you and your family - not party, ethnicity," she said in an address to to the nation. | "Your vote is about you and your family - not party, ethnicity," she said in an address to to the nation. |
| A total of 20 presidential candidates are running to succeed Ms Sirleaf. | A total of 20 presidential candidates are running to succeed Ms Sirleaf. |
| They include Alex Cummings, a former Coca-Cola executive, and MacDella Cooper, a former model and ex-girlfriend of Mr Weah. | They include Alex Cummings, a former Coca-Cola executive, and MacDella Cooper, a former model and ex-girlfriend of Mr Weah. |
| Ms Sirleaf, 78, is stepping down at the end of her two terms. | Ms Sirleaf, 78, is stepping down at the end of her two terms. |
| When will we get results? | When will we get results? |
| The head of the electoral commission, Jerome Kokoya, told the BBC's Newsday programme that polls would close at 18:00 GMT and that he expects early results to be announced by 23:00 GMT. | The head of the electoral commission, Jerome Kokoya, told the BBC's Newsday programme that polls would close at 18:00 GMT and that he expects early results to be announced by 23:00 GMT. |
| He said that to avoid a run-off, the winner of the presidential race must get 50% plus one vote. | He said that to avoid a run-off, the winner of the presidential race must get 50% plus one vote. |
| With so many candidates running, most analysts expect there to be a second round. | With so many candidates running, most analysts expect there to be a second round. |
| Provisional results could come as soon as Wednesday but might take up to two weeks due to the poor state of the country's infrastructure. | Provisional results could come as soon as Wednesday but might take up to two weeks due to the poor state of the country's infrastructure. |
| Is Liberia peaceful now? | Is Liberia peaceful now? |
| Ms Sirleaf took office in 2006, after her predecessor, Charles Taylor, was forced out of office by rebels in 2003, ending the long civil war. | Ms Sirleaf took office in 2006, after her predecessor, Charles Taylor, was forced out of office by rebels in 2003, ending the long civil war. |
| Taylor is currently serving a 50-year prison sentence in the UK for war crimes related to the conflict in neighbouring Sierra Leone. | Taylor is currently serving a 50-year prison sentence in the UK for war crimes related to the conflict in neighbouring Sierra Leone. |
| Mr Weah, 51, has chosen Taylor's ex-wife Jewel Howard Taylor as his running mate. | Mr Weah, 51, has chosen Taylor's ex-wife Jewel Howard Taylor as his running mate. |
| This is the former footballer of the year's third attempt to become president. | This is the former footballer of the year's third attempt to become president. |
| Ms Sirleaf has failed to campaign for Mr Boakai, fuelling speculation that the two have fallen out. | Ms Sirleaf has failed to campaign for Mr Boakai, fuelling speculation that the two have fallen out. |
| Discover Liberia: | Discover Liberia: |
| Find out more about Liberia | Find out more about Liberia |
| 'We want a good leader' | 'We want a good leader' |
| By Charlotte Attwood, BBC, Monrovia | By Charlotte Attwood, BBC, Monrovia |
| Hundreds of Liberians are waiting in a queue that snakes from the gates of St Theresa convent, through South Beach slum almost reaching the shoreline behind. Some elder members have brought plastic chairs to sit on - it is going to be a long day. | Hundreds of Liberians are waiting in a queue that snakes from the gates of St Theresa convent, through South Beach slum almost reaching the shoreline behind. Some elder members have brought plastic chairs to sit on - it is going to be a long day. |
| Charles Daniel, 70, had been waiting since 06:30 GMT. "We want a good leader, not a ruler," he said. | Charles Daniel, 70, had been waiting since 06:30 GMT. "We want a good leader, not a ruler," he said. |
| Men and women carrying large buckets full of boiled eggs and other snacks to sell are here hoping to make a killing today. | Men and women carrying large buckets full of boiled eggs and other snacks to sell are here hoping to make a killing today. |
| Similar scenes can be found at hundreds of polling stations in and around the capital this morning as Liberians prepare to elect their new president. | Similar scenes can be found at hundreds of polling stations in and around the capital this morning as Liberians prepare to elect their new president. |
| The streets of the capital are almost empty - everybody seems to be waiting patiently in line to cast their ballot, or at home. | |
| What are the main issues? | What are the main issues? |
| Almost 2.2 million people are registered to vote in the election. | Almost 2.2 million people are registered to vote in the election. |
| Parliamentary elections are also being held at the same time. | Parliamentary elections are also being held at the same time. |
| Campaigning has been dominated by promises to tackle poverty, corruption, and guarantee stability in the West African state. | Campaigning has been dominated by promises to tackle poverty, corruption, and guarantee stability in the West African state. |
| Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world, with more than 50% of people living in poverty. | Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world, with more than 50% of people living in poverty. |
| It was one of three West African states badly hit by the 2014-15 Ebola outbreak which left more than 11,300 people dead. | It was one of three West African states badly hit by the 2014-15 Ebola outbreak which left more than 11,300 people dead. |