Johnson-Sirleaf becomes Africa's first elected woman leader

Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf yesterday became Liberia's new president and the first woman to be elected leader of an African country.

The National Election Commission said the Harvard-educated Ms Johnson-Sirleaf had beaten former AC Milan striker George Weah by 59.4 per cent to 40.6 per cent in run-off presidential elections held on 8 November.

At an official ceremony in the capital, Monrovia, the Commission's chairwoman Frances Johnson-Morris declared: "Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, having received more than 50 per cent of the valid votes cast from November 8, is hereby declared winner of the presidential election."The 67-year-old divorced grandmother of six- who has already earned the nickname "Iron Lady"- has promised to create a government of national unity that will include Mr Weah and his supporters.

Ms Johnson-Sirleaf has a long involvement with politics in Liberia.

She was imprisoned in the 1980s for criticising the military regime of former leader Samuel Doe, and then backed Charles Taylor, who overthrew Doe and installed himself as president.

Later, she also disagreed with Taylor and was charged with treason.

Her critics say she still has links to Taylor, who is currently in exile in Nigeria and has been charged with war crimes by a UN-backed tribunal in Sierra Leone.

Ms Johnson-Sirleaf insists she has broken all ties with the former leader, and points out that she even ran against him in presidential elections in 1997.

Her supporters believe her earlier career with the World Bank, the United Nations and Citigroup give her the ideal qualifications to rebuild Liberia's shattered economy.

She has promised to reform the country's outdated land tenure system, and reintegrate child soldiers back into society.

On a more practical level, she has said she will restore electricity to the capital within six months, and to install a well or hand pump in every village across the country within two years.

During the elections, her campaigners wore t-shirts with the logo: "All the men have failed Liberia, let's try a woman this time."A few days after the elections, Ms Johnson-Sirleaf told Reuters she would have to move fast.

"We know expectations are going to be high.

The Liberian people have voted for their confidence in my ability to deliver very quickly."

Mr Weah, who ran a populist campaign based on the fact that his hands are not bloodied by Liberia's violent past, has insisted that the election which propelled his rival to power, was rigged.

He won the first round of the presidential elections on 11 October, but lost the run off against runner up Ms Johnson-Sirleaf in November.

The authorities are still investigating his complaints but decided to confirm Ms Johnson-Sirleaf's victory in the meantime.

Mr Weah's supporters have already taken to the streets several times since the election to protest over the alleged voting fraud.

Mr Weah's main advisors have also said they will take their case to the Supreme Court if an electoral commission investigation finds no evidence of fraud.

The elections were the first the country has held since the end of a 14-year civil war, and were monitored by several hundred foreign observers and 15,000 United Nations troops.

UN peacekeepers patrolled the capital city of Monrovia yesterday, to quell any potential riots as the results were announced.

Ms Johnson-Sirleaf has already said she would like the UN peacekeepers to stay three or four more years to help her stabilise the country.

Liberia, founded by freed American slaves in 1847, has been plagued by years of civil war caused by resentment of the ruling elite.

Charles Taylor was notorious for recruiting child soldiers and controlling them by creating drug addictions.

These child soldiers later spilled over into neighbouring Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast, and began attacking local communities.

Members of Ms Johnson-Sirleaf's Unity party said they would celebrate in a low-key way to avoid confrontation with Mr Weah's supporters.

She is expected to be formally inaugurated in January.

- INDEPENDENT