Africa's 1st female leader wins

2005-11-23 12:54

Monrovia - Election officials on Wednesday confirmed Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf as the winner in Liberia's post-war elections, making her Africa's first-ever elected female president.

"Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, having received the highest number of votes in the runoff is hereby declared the winner," said National Elections Commission Chairwoman Frances Johnson-Morris.

United Nations peacekeepers armed with batons and rifles were deployed in the heart of the capital, Monrovia, where angry opposition supporters have previously clashed with UN peacekeepers. Traffic was not allowed into the area.

With all ballots counted, election officials earlier said Johnson-Sirleaf received 59.4% of the vote to George Weah's 40.6% .

The election commission confirmed the tally on Wednesday _ officially naming her Liberia's president-in-waiting and first woman to ever win an election to be an African president. Her inauguration is scheduled for January.

Johnson-Sirleaf has served as her country's finance minister and taken on top jobs at Citibank and the United Nations. She is a widowed mother-of-four who also has eight grandchildren. Last week, Liberia's National Election Commission opened an investigation into seven electoral fraud complaints filed by Weah's party.

The elections were the first since a 1989-2003 civil war, and international observers have said they were largely free and fair, with only a few small irregularities. About 15 000 UN peacekeepers are now ensuring calm in Liberia. AP

- AP