Breaking News: Johnson-Sirleaf ahead in Liberian presidential race

With 96.7% or 4311 of 4457 polling places reporting, incumbent President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has 44% of the vote, followed by Winston A. Tubman with 32.2% and Prince Yormie Johnson with 11.8% of the vote. (National Elections Commission, Republic of Liberia) This means there is going to be a runoff, with Johnson-Sirleaf coming short of an outright majority.

The voting turnout was high, with 1,243,233 or 71.4% of the registered voters voting. A likely run-off will be held November 8. President Johnson-Sirleaf issued the following statement concerning the election:

"My Fellow Liberians: I want to congratulate each of you who turned out to vote on Election Day, and also for the discipline and tolerance you demonstrated. We commend the National Elections Commission (NEC) for the professional manner in which it conducted the process which was judged by most to be free, fair and transparent. We thank the Liberian Council of Churches, the Liberian Muslim Council and all national and international groups that have called for peace and requested all political parties to refrain from actions that will undermine the peace of our nation. We condemn acts of violence and destruction, and call upon all Liberians to refrain from violence and threats as we prepare to once again exercise our political franchise by voting in the run-off election which we are certain will be equally free, fair and transparent. After all, we are all Liberians – one history, one culture, one future. When this election is over, we’ll all be Liberians, and it will require the collective effort of all of us to continue the process of rebuilding our country and to ensure that peace, stability and democracy continue to prevail. We ask all religious bodies, and all of our people, to continue to pray for our nation. May God bless us all."

Tubman's organization has claimed that the vote was rigged in Johnson-Sirleaf's favor. It has been reported that the country is in limbo since the elections started, with Johnson-Sirleaf fighting youth unrest and inability to fill key government positions, especially in the financial sector.

In August, Johnson-Sirleaf nominated Robert L. Kilby, an independent consultant and auditor who was born in Liberia but also works near Stone Mountain, Ga., as the new Auditor-General for Liberia. Kilby is also an exam writer for the American Institute of Certified Accountants and an expert on the Sarbanes Oxley Act.

(Robert Kilby with wife, Marilyn, in 2002. Listen to audio interview with Robert Kilby - at http://wingcomwatchdog.blogspot.com/2012/12/liberias-auditor-general-says-u-s.html)

Johnson-Sirleaf just won the Nobel Peace Prize earlier this month.

Photos by Kurk Johnson ©2011 Tomi Johnson. All rights reserved.