MONROVIA, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- Liberians started voting in the second round of presidential elections on Tuesday morning across the West African country.
The presidential runoff is a contest between two political heavyweights, incumbent President George Weah of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change and former Vice President Joseph Boakai of the Unity Party.
"The process has been smooth and peaceful so far. We expect that voting during this runoff process will be faster compared to the initial polls because it involves only one ballot paper per voter," said Lawrence Fanbulleh, a voter in the capital, Monrovia.
Observers from various local and international organizations, including the Economic Community of West African States and the West African Elders Forum, are on the ground to monitor the electoral process, ensuring fairness and transparency.
More than 2.4 million Liberians were registered to vote during the election process. The National Elections Commission oversees the conduct of the elections in all 15 counties of the country.
The first round of voting, held on Oct. 10, did not yield a clear winner among 20 presidential candidates, leading to this runoff between Weah and Boakai, the top two contenders.
The campaigns leading up to this moment have been marked by spirited rallies, intense debates and a focused discussion on the critical issues facing Liberia, including economic development, social welfare and the country's fight against corruption, among others. ■
