George Weah, the former FIFA World Player of Year, won an emphatic victory in Liberia’s presidential elections amid jubilant celebrations among his supporters.
He now faces the daunting task of delivering tangible benefits to his expectant supporters in the face of a gutted economy and waning donor support.
He was met by hundreds of screaming supporters on his arrival at his party headquarters on Friday. Many have waited over a decade -- since his failed bid for the presidency in 2005 -- to see a man they consider their own come to power.
Those supporters come with high expectations that the former football star may have to carefully temper if he is to hold onto his widespread support, particularly among the West African country’s disaffected youth.
“People are expecting too much of him, but we know he will do us proud,” said Diane Fbarh, a 24-year-old accounting student as she waited for Weah to appear at his party headquarters on Friday. “I don’t think he will let us down.”
Weah, who grew up kicking a raggedy football ball on the dusty streets of the capital Monrovia’s Clara Town slum and later played for top European clubs, successfully tapped into dissatisfaction with Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s 12-year presidency.
Johnson Sirleaf won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 for helping cement peace after civil wars from 1989-2003 but has been criticized over persistent poverty and corruption scandals.
The challenge of lending substance to vague campaign promises is steep in a country that ranks 177th out of 188 on the UN Human Development Index.
Chronic problems with electricity delivery leave most of the country without power and even downtown Monrovia is frequently in the dark. Much of rural Liberia is effectively cut off from the capital when summer rains flood the pitted dirt roads.
Hit hard by a 2014-16 Ebola outbreak that killed thousands, low prices for chief exports iron ore and rubber and declining foreign aid, Liberia’s economy has sputtered and relies on overseas remittances for more than a quarter of GDP.
The economy contracted last year and the International Monetary Fund last month revised down its GDP growth forecasts for 2017 and 2018 due to sluggish commodity prices and the drawdown of the country’s UN peacekeeping mission.
Johnson Sirleaf’s administration was also dogged by several corruption scandals. She suspended her son and 45 other government officials in 2012 for failing to declare their assets to anti-corruption authorities and faced accusations of nepotism. She denied those charges.
Weah, 51, has vowed to form a “government of inclusion” in a country still riven by divisions based on ethnicity, class and political affiliation, but opponents have criticized his lack of political experience and education.
“It boils down to the team he puts together. He needs people with integrity and skill to implement change,” said political analyst Robtel Neajai Pailey.
“He needs to focus on two or three things. He can’t do it all -- that would be impossible,” Pailey said.
Vice President Joseph Boakai conceded defeat to Weah on Friday, urging his supporters to rally behind the president-elect. But Boakai’s supporters remained skeptical.
“It is a bad thing that Weah was elected,” said Victor Smith, an IT consultant “He lacks the experience. He never gave a platform. He doesn’t have the skills to be a leader.”
Besides a tweet he sent out after results were announced on Thursday, Weah has yet to address the public. His press team says he has been busy taking congratulatory calls from world leaders.
On the domestic front, the hard work will begin soon.
On Thursday, Johnson Sirleaf announced plans to immediately form a joint presidential transition team to coordinate the transfer of power and ensure Weah receives regular national security briefings.
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari George Weah on his election, commending the Liberian people "on the peaceful conduct of the historic presidential runoff election. "
He called Tuesday's vote "another plus on Africa's democratic scoreboard."
Buhari said Nigeria is ready to work with Liberia on issues of mutual interest and called Weah's victory "an affirmation of the will of the Liberian people to remain united, peaceful and prosperous."
French President Emmanuel Macron called Weah to congratulate him and invite him to visit. The French presidency said in a statement that Weah accepted the invitation.
Macron said the former football star still has "a special place in the French's hearts."
Weah played with AS Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain, among others.
