Liberian elections, 2005
Encyclopedia
The 2005 Liberian general election was held on 11 October 2005, with a runoff election for the presidency held on 8 November of that year. The presidency, as well as all seats in the House of Representatives and Senate
were up for election. The election marked the end of the political transition following Liberia
's second civil war
. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former World Bank
employee and Liberian finance minister, won the presidential contest and became the first democratically-elected female Africa
n head of state
in January 2006.
The election was the first held since the 1997 general election and the election of Charles Taylor and the National Patriotic Party
, which some did not consider fully free and fair.
Elections were scheduled for all 64 seats in the House of Representatives
, with each of Liberia's 15 counties
having at least two seats and the remaining seats allotted proportionally based on voter registration. The Senate
had 30 seats up for elections, with two from each county.
star George Weah
was considered by many to be the favorite, due at least partially to widespread dissatisfaction with Liberia's politicians. Weah, who had been the subject of a petition published in September 2004 urging him to run, announced his candidacy in mid-November 2004 and received a hero's welcome when he arrived in Monrovia
later in the month. Weah won the first round of voting and but lost in the November 8, 2005 run-off. He initially filed formal fraud charges, but subsequently dropped his allegations, citing the interests of peace.
, and other members of the transitional government did not run, according to the terms of the peace deal.
On August 13, the election commission published a list of 22 presidential candidates who were cleared to run; six candidates were rejected, but Weah was cleared to stand despite complaints that he had adopted French citizenship. The Senate seats were contested by 206 candidates and the seats in the lower house were contested by 503 candidates. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/africa/4149010.stm Campaigning for the elections began on August 15.
In late September, the Supreme Court ruled that two excluded presidential candidates, Marcus Jones and Cornelius Hunter, and an excluded legislative candidate could register to run; this ruling created the possibility that the elections would have to be postponed in order to reprint ballot papers. However, these candidates later withdrew their bids, so the elections went ahead on schedule on October 11.
, former soccer star and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former World Bank
employee and finance minister finished first and second, respectively and advanced to the second round run-off
, which Johnson-Sirleaf won 59%-41%, according to the National Electoral Commission.
Weah claimed election fraud, stating elections officials were stuffing ballot
boxes in Johnson-Sirleaf's favor. Most elections observers
, including those from the United Nations
, the European Union
and the Economic Community of West African States
, say that the election was clean and transparent. The Carter Center
observed "minor irregularities" but no major problems. Johnson-Sirleaf reminded the press that Weah has 72 hours to bring evidence of wrongdoing to her campaign according to Liberian law, calling the accusations "lies" and stating that Weah's supporters "just don't want a woman to be President in Africa." http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051110/ap_on_re_af/liberia
On December 22, 2005, Weah withdrew his protests, and in January Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became the first democratically-elected female Head of State in the history of the African Continent, and the first female African Head of State since Empress
Zauditu
, who ruled Ethiopia
from 1916 to 1930.
.
Senate of Liberia
The Senate of Liberia is the upper house of the bicameral legislative branch of Liberia, and together with the House of Representatives comprises the Legislature of Liberia...
were up for election. The election marked the end of the political transition following Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
's second civil war
Second Liberian Civil War
The Second Liberian Civil War began in 1999 when a rebel group backed by the government of neighbouring Guinea, the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy , emerged in northern Liberia. In early 2003, a second rebel group, the Movement for Democracy in Liberia, emerged in the south, and...
. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
employee and Liberian finance minister, won the presidential contest and became the first democratically-elected female Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
in January 2006.
The election was the first held since the 1997 general election and the election of Charles Taylor and the National Patriotic Party
National Patriotic Party
The National Patriotic Party is a political party in Liberia. It was formed in 1997 by members of the National Patriotic Front of Liberia following the end of the First Liberian Civil War....
, which some did not consider fully free and fair.
Important dates and regulations
Frances Johnson-Morris, the chairwoman of the National Elections Commission (NEC), announced the October 11 date on February 7, 2005.Elections were scheduled for all 64 seats in the House of Representatives
House of Representatives of Liberia
The House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the bicameral Liberian Legislature. Legislative elections took place on 11 October 2005, and the elected members took office in January 2006.-Candidate eligibility:...
, with each of Liberia's 15 counties
Counties of Liberia
||There are 15 counties in Liberia, as of 2008.-External links:** Comprehensive resource about counties and districts of Liberia....
having at least two seats and the remaining seats allotted proportionally based on voter registration. The Senate
Senate of Liberia
The Senate of Liberia is the upper house of the bicameral legislative branch of Liberia, and together with the House of Representatives comprises the Legislature of Liberia...
had 30 seats up for elections, with two from each county.
George Weah
Prior to the election, former footballFootball (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
star George Weah
George Weah
George Tawlon Manneh Oppong Ousman Weah is a Liberian humanitarian and politician, and an ex-footballer. He ran unsuccessfully for president in the 2005 election, losing to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in the second round of voting...
was considered by many to be the favorite, due at least partially to widespread dissatisfaction with Liberia's politicians. Weah, who had been the subject of a petition published in September 2004 urging him to run, announced his candidacy in mid-November 2004 and received a hero's welcome when he arrived in Monrovia
Monrovia
Monrovia is the capital city of the West African nation of Liberia. Located on the Atlantic Coast at Cape Mesurado, it lies geographically within Montserrado County, but is administered separately...
later in the month. Weah won the first round of voting and but lost in the November 8, 2005 run-off. He initially filed formal fraud charges, but subsequently dropped his allegations, citing the interests of peace.
Excluded candidates
The chairman of the transitional government, Gyude BryantGyude Bryant
Charles Gyude Bryant is a Liberian politician. He served as the Chairman of the Transitional Government of Liberia from 14 October 2003 to 16 January 2006...
, and other members of the transitional government did not run, according to the terms of the peace deal.
On August 13, the election commission published a list of 22 presidential candidates who were cleared to run; six candidates were rejected, but Weah was cleared to stand despite complaints that he had adopted French citizenship. The Senate seats were contested by 206 candidates and the seats in the lower house were contested by 503 candidates. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/africa/4149010.stm Campaigning for the elections began on August 15.
In late September, the Supreme Court ruled that two excluded presidential candidates, Marcus Jones and Cornelius Hunter, and an excluded legislative candidate could register to run; this ruling created the possibility that the elections would have to be postponed in order to reprint ballot papers. However, these candidates later withdrew their bids, so the elections went ahead on schedule on October 11.
Presidential candidates
|
Roland Massaquoi Roland Massaquoi is a Liberian politician and, as of 2006, leader of the National Patriotic Party . In 2009, Massaquoi was the President of the Liberian Produce Marketing Corporation.... — National Patriotic Party National Patriotic Party The National Patriotic Party is a political party in Liberia. It was formed in 1997 by members of the National Patriotic Front of Liberia following the end of the First Liberian Civil War.... (NPP) John Morlu John Sembe Morlu II is a Liberian politician and economist. He is a member of the Liberia National Union .Running as the candidate of the three-party United Democratic Alliance in the 11 October 2005 presidential elections, Morlu placed 11th out of 22 candidates, receiving 1.2% of the vote.In... — United Democratic Alliance United Democratic Alliance The United Democratic Alliance is a coalition of three Liberian political parties - the Liberia National Union , Liberia Education and Development Party , and the Reformation Alliance Party - that contested the 11 October 2005 elections.... (UDA) Alfred Reeves Bishop Alfred Garpee Reeves was a Liberian politician and clergyman. Reeves was a bishop in the Church of God in Christ and a member of the National Reformation Party... — National Reformation Party National Reformation Party The National Reformation Party is a political party in Liberia. It participated in the 1997 elections and fielded candidates in the 11 October 2005 elections.... (NRP) Varney Sherman Harry Varney Gboto-Nambi Sherman is a Liberian politician and the current chairman of the ruling Unity Party.-Early life:... — Coalition for the Transformation of Liberia Coalition for the Transformation of Liberia The Coalition for the Transformation of Liberia was a political coalition that was formed to contest the 2005 Liberian general election. Initially, COTOL consisted of the Liberian Action Party , Liberia Unification Party , People's Democratic Party of Liberia , and the formerly dominant True Whig... (COTOL) Togba-Nah Tipoteh Togba-Nah Tipoteh is a politician, economist, and educator, having mostly recently been presidential candidate for Liberia's 2005 elections, running as the candidate for the Alliance for Peace and Democracy... — Alliance for Peace and Democracy Alliance for Peace and Democracy The Alliance for Peace and Democracy is a coalition of two Liberian political parties, the Liberian People's Party and the United People's Party , that contested the 11 October 2005 elections.... (APD) Margaret Tor-Thompson Margaret Tor-Thompson was a Liberian politician and member of the Freedom Alliance Party of Liberia . She was trained in Biblical Studies and was an influential activist during the Liberian Civil War.... — Freedom Alliance Party of Liberia Freedom Alliance Party of Liberia The Freedom Alliance Party of Liberia is a political party in Liberia. It fielded candidates in the 11 October 2005 elections.FAPL candidate Margaret Tor-Thompson won 0.9% of the vote in the presidential poll. The party failed to win any seats in the Senate or House of Representatives.... (FAPL) Winston Tubman Winston A. Tubman is a Liberian diplomat and politician of Americo-Liberian descent. He is a former justice minister and diplomat for the nation and leader of the Congress for Democratic Change Winston A. Tubman (born 1941) is a Liberian diplomat and politician of Americo-Liberian descent. He is a... — National Democratic Party of Liberia National Democratic Party of Liberia The National Democratic Party of Liberia is a political party in Liberia.The NDPL was formed in August 1984 by supporters of Samuel Doe, who came to power in a 1980 military coup. The party contested the 15 October 1985 elections with Doe as its presidential candidate. He won 50.93% of the vote in... (NDPL) William V.S. Tubman, Jr. William Vacanarat Shadrach Tubman, Jr. is a Liberian politician and member of the Reformed United Liberia Party . He is the son of William Tubman, who was President of Liberia from 1943 to 1971... — Reformed United Liberia Party Reformed United Liberia Party The Reformed United Liberia Party is a political party in Liberia. It fielded candidates in the 11 October 2005 elections.RULP candidate William V.S. Tubman, Jr. won 1.6% of the vote in the presidential poll. The party failed to win any seats in the Senate or House of Representatives.The party was... (RULP) George Weah George Tawlon Manneh Oppong Ousman Weah is a Liberian humanitarian and politician, and an ex-footballer. He ran unsuccessfully for president in the 2005 election, losing to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in the second round of voting... — Congress for Democratic Change Congress for Democratic Change Congress for Democratic Change is a Liberian political party formed by supporters of George Weah's 2005 presidential candidacy.In the 11 October 2005 elections, Weah placed first in the presidential poll, winning 28.3% of the vote... (CDC) Joseph Woah-Tee Joseph M. Woah-Tee was a Liberian politician and member of the Labor Party of Liberia . A native of Bong County, he founded the Woah-Tee Progressive Movement.-Early life:... — Labor Party of Liberia Labor Party of Liberia The Labor Party of Liberia is a political party in Liberia. It fielded candidates in the 11 October 2005 elections.LPL candidate Joseph Woah-Tee won 0.6% of the vote in the presidential poll. The party failed to win any seats in the Senate or House of Representatives.... (LPL) |
Results
Presidential elections
Voting took place in two rounds 11 October and 8 November. Twenty-two people contested the presidential race in the first round. George WeahGeorge Weah
George Tawlon Manneh Oppong Ousman Weah is a Liberian humanitarian and politician, and an ex-footballer. He ran unsuccessfully for president in the 2005 election, losing to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in the second round of voting...
, former soccer star and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
employee and finance minister finished first and second, respectively and advanced to the second round run-off
Two-round system
The two-round system is a voting system used to elect a single winner where the voter casts a single vote for their chosen candidate...
, which Johnson-Sirleaf won 59%-41%, according to the National Electoral Commission.
Weah claimed election fraud, stating elections officials were stuffing ballot
Ballot stuffing
Ballot stuffing is the illegal act of one person submitting multiple ballots during a vote in which only one ballot per person is permitted. The name originates from the earliest days of this practice in which people literally did stuff more than one ballot in a ballot box at the same time...
boxes in Johnson-Sirleaf's favor. Most elections observers
Election monitoring
Election monitoring is the observation of an election by one or more independent parties, typically from another country or a non-governmental organization , primarily to assess the conduct of an election process on the basis of national legislation and international standards. There are national...
, including those from the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and the Economic Community of West African States
Economic Community of West African States
The Economic Community of West African States is a regional group of fifteen West African countries. Founded on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, its mission is to promote economic integration across the region....
, say that the election was clean and transparent. The Carter Center
Carter Center
The Carter Center is a nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter. In partnership with Emory University, The Carter Center works to advance human rights and alleviate human suffering...
observed "minor irregularities" but no major problems. Johnson-Sirleaf reminded the press that Weah has 72 hours to bring evidence of wrongdoing to her campaign according to Liberian law, calling the accusations "lies" and stating that Weah's supporters "just don't want a woman to be President in Africa." http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051110/ap_on_re_af/liberia
On December 22, 2005, Weah withdrew his protests, and in January Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became the first democratically-elected female Head of State in the history of the African Continent, and the first female African Head of State since Empress
Emperor of Ethiopia
The Emperor of Ethiopia was the hereditary ruler of Ethiopia until the abolition of the monarchy in 1974. The Emperor was the head of state and head of government, with ultimate executive, judicial and legislative power in that country...
Zauditu
Zauditu of Ethiopia
Zewditu was Empress of Ethiopia from 1916 to 1930. The first woman head of an internationally recognized state in Africa in the 19th and 20th centuries, she was noted for opposing the reforms of Tafari Makonnen and for her strong religious devotion.-Early...
, who ruled Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
from 1916 to 1930.
Senate elections
As no Senate existed prior to the elections, each voter was eligible to cast two ballots for different candidates. The two candidates with the highest number of votes in each county were elected. The candidate with the highest share of votes became the senior senator for the county, elected to a nine-year term. The candidate with the second-highest share became the junior senator, elected to a six-year term. This method was chosen in order to reintroduce a staggered electoral systemStaggered elections
In staggered elections, not all places in an elected body are up for election at the same time. The staggered election keeps some continuity in the elected body....
.
General information
- National Elections Commission
- Liberia 2005: The Road to Democracy
- United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) Electoral Division
- United Liberia - Latest News
- Press Freedom Conditions in Liberia - IFEXInternational Freedom of Expression ExchangeThe International Freedom of Expression eXchange , founded in 1992, is a global network of around 90 non-governmental organisations that promotes and defends the right to freedom of expression....
- All Africa, Liberia news
Candidates
- Nat Barnes for President
- Charles Brumskine Campaign Site
- Samuel Raymond Divine Campaign Site
- John Morlu for President
- Varney Sherman for President
- Dr. Togba-Nah Tipoteh for President
- Winston Tubman Campaign Site
- George Weah Campaign Site
Political parties
Articles
- I am woman, hear my roar Katharine Houreld on the participation of women in the 2005 Liberian election.