Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, known as Liberia's Iron Lady, appeared to have polled 59.1 percent of the vote in the second round of the Liberian presidential election. Supporters of her rival, ex-international soccer star George Weah, have taken to the streets after his loss. They alleged 'massive fraud' in the elections, which were internationally monitored.
If Johnson's victory is certified, however, the 66-year-old ex-Harvard economist will be Africa's first-ever elected female president. She was a former finance minister in this West African nation, which was founded by freed American slaves.
These were the first elections held in Liberia after a civil war that raged from 1989 to 2003. Nearly eight percent of its population died and a million people have become refugees. Voter turnout was about 59.3 percent in 2978 stations across the country.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf at her home in Monrovia on November 10
Photo: Issouf Sanogo/AFP/Getty Images
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