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Vol 55 No 10

Published 16th May 2014


Liberia

The men to follow Ellen

Its choice of candidate gives the Unity Party an uphill climb to win the presidency in 2017

Observers are examining Liberia's record on gender equality. No woman has appeared on President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf's list of potential successors and she has said she wants the dour Joseph Boakai, 69, to be the candidate of the governing Unity Party in 2017. Many think he lacks charisma but Johnson-Sirleaf has said she will do her best to make sure he wins. George Weah, the former football star who nearly defeated Johnson-Sirleaf in 2006, has announced that he will stand for the Congress for Democratic Change. He is currently the President's Ambassador for Peace and Reconciliation and has promised her a job if he wins. Although still popular on the streets of Monrovia, Weah is not adept at making political deals and that has let him down in the past. Money could also be a problem.

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