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Peace a priority for Weah
18/12/2005 08:51 - (SA)
Monrovia - President-elect Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf met her challenger George Weah for the first time since the November election Weah says was fraudulent, but it was not clear whether their talks had persuaded the international soccer star turned politician to drop his protest.
After Saturday's meeting arranged by former Nigerian military leader general Abdusalami Abubakar as part of regional efforts to resolve Liberia's political impasse, Weah was asked whether he was abandoning his attempt to keep Johnson-Sirleaf from taking office.
"I am a peaceful person. I don't want to jeopardise the peace process in Liberia," he responded. "I think Liberia should move forward.
"Liberia is more important than anybody. The international community, (regional leaders), they are all looking for a stable and peaceful Liberia. We must respect that, and I respect that," he said.
Weah's fraud claims dismissed
A day earlier, the Liberian election commission said vote-tampering evidence presented by Weah "was grossly insufficient" and dismissed his challenge. International election observers had deemed the presidential elections largely clean, and other African leaders have urged Weah to concede defeat. The Economic Community of West African States appointed Abubakar to try to mediate a resolution.
But Weah's lawyers said after Friday's election commission ruling that they would pursue their fraud claims before Liberia's Supreme Court, and Weah has vowed to prevent Johnson-Sirleaf from taking the oath of office as scheduled on January 16.
Stepping up security
Weah lost in November to Johnson-Sirleaf, the first woman in Africa to be elected president.
Johnson-Sirleaf and Weah shook hands after their meeting on Saturday and she said the session went well.
Abubakar "just wants to find a way for us to move forward and bring peace and development to the Liberian people, that's all," she said. "I am certainly in for that. That is my objective. That is clearly what I want. We just discussed the way forward."
The November elections had raised hopes that Liberia would move past a war that killed 200 000 people and devastated the West African country. About 15 000 United Nations peacekeepers are keeping the calm. The November vote ended a two-year transitional administration after the 1989 to 2003 civil war.
On Monday, Weah supporters clashed with police and UN peacekeepers, prompting the UN mission on Monday to step up security across the capital.
- AP
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