Owusu on Africa: The election and transitional leader of the year 2023 – Liberia and George Weah

By Fidel Amakye Owusu

Last year – 2023 – was a busy one for Africa as far as elections were concerned. Multiple states in different geopolitical zones held polls to elect heads of state, legislators, and local authorities.

Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, Gabon Guinea Bissau Liberia, Egypt, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), among others, held elections to select leaders at the various levels of government – mostly simultaneously.

Almost all these polls were either marred with opposition rejection of results or were overtly made to favor one particular candidate. In Gabon, the polls led to the coming of its first junta since independence. Sierra Leone produced a result that is breeding instability, and Nigeria had results settled in court.

The aftermath of elections in the DR Congo is still on the radar of security experts who recognize the sensitivity of the reaction of opposition elements to the irregularities that were common during the process.

Liberia exceptional

These notwithstanding, Liberia was exceptional in organizing its polls. Conditions before, during and after the elections were good enough to avoid superfluous disruptions and antagonism.

While no one expects perfect elections, some basic principles and conditions are necessary for a free and fair process – Liberia did it.

What is more interesting is the fact that the final results after a second round between the two leading candidates did not favor the incumbent president George Weah.

In Africa, where the advantages of incumbency are heavily exploited during most elections, this was a big deal. After serving his first six-year term, the former world’s best soccer player was eligible for a second term. However, a former Vice President whom he had defeated in 2017 beat him this time around. He graciously conceded defeat.

Although transitions could be messy because of the winner-take-all politics in many parts of the continent, the president has maintained cool heads and is reported to have been impressively supportive of the process. In recent times, he has attended regional summits even after his defeat.

With the tumultuous recent history of the country, this is commendable. Like Somalia, the end of the Cold War had ushered Liberia into one of the worst periods in its history. Many perished and others were displaced in the long civil war that plagued the country.

Peace in the early 2000s effectively ushered the country into the current democratic dispensation. President Weah’s noble action has consolidated democracy in a nation that is determined to look forward and never go back to chaos.

Fidel Amakye Owusu is an International Relations and Security Analyst. He is an Associate at the Conflict Research Consortium for Africa and has previously hosted an International Affairs program with the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC). He is passionate about Diplomacy and realizing Africa’s global potential and how the continent should be viewed as part of the global collective.