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| Liberia election: Weah and Boakai headed for presidential run-off | Liberia election: Weah and Boakai headed for presidential run-off |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| Former football star George Weah and Vice-President Joseph Boakai are headed for a run-off in Liberia's presidential election. | Former football star George Weah and Vice-President Joseph Boakai are headed for a run-off in Liberia's presidential election. |
| Nearly all the results from Tuesday's poll have been counted, the election commission says. | Nearly all the results from Tuesday's poll have been counted, the election commission says. |
| Mr Weah, the first African to win the Ballon D'Or football award, is leading with 39%, while Mr Boakai is in second place with 29%. | Mr Weah, the first African to win the Ballon D'Or football award, is leading with 39%, while Mr Boakai is in second place with 29%. |
| A second round between the pair has been set for 7 November. | |
| They lead the field of 20 candidates who competed to succeed Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's first female elected president and a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. | They lead the field of 20 candidates who competed to succeed Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's first female elected president and a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. |
| Fewer than 5% of polling stations have yet to declare results, and lawyer Charles Brumskine is in third place with 9.8%. | Fewer than 5% of polling stations have yet to declare results, and lawyer Charles Brumskine is in third place with 9.8%. |
| Both Mr Weah and Mr Boakai had predicted they would win the first round of voting. | Both Mr Weah and Mr Boakai had predicted they would win the first round of voting. |
| Mr Weah's former manager on the football field, Arsene Wenger, was earlier this week apparently duped by false reports that he had already been elected president. | Mr Weah's former manager on the football field, Arsene Wenger, was earlier this week apparently duped by false reports that he had already been elected president. |
| He told reporters: "It's not often you have a former player who becomes president of a country. So well done, Georgie." | He told reporters: "It's not often you have a former player who becomes president of a country. So well done, Georgie." |
| Meet the frontrunners | Meet the frontrunners |
| George Weah, 51: | George Weah, 51: |
| Joseph Boakai, 73: | Joseph Boakai, 73: |
| Liberia, which was founded by freed US slaves in the 19th Century, has not had a smooth transfer of power in 73 years. | Liberia, which was founded by freed US slaves in the 19th Century, has not had a smooth transfer of power in 73 years. |
| Ms Sirleaf took office in 2006, after her predecessor, Charles Taylor, was forced out of office by rebels in 2003, ending a long civil war. | Ms Sirleaf took office in 2006, after her predecessor, Charles Taylor, was forced out of office by rebels in 2003, ending a 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. |