Boakai declared winner of Liberia presidential election

MONROVIA, Liberia

Political veteran Joseph Boakai was on Monday declared winner of Liberia's presidential election, beating incumbent George Weah, the National Electoral Commission (NEC) said after completing the ballot count.

Boakai won with 50.64 percent of the vote, against 49.36 percent of the vote for former international football star Weah, Davidetta Browne Lansanah, president of the commission, told reporters.

Boakai won with only a 20,567-vote margin.

Weah, however, already conceded defeat on Friday evening, based on the results of more than 99.98 percent of the polling stations.

However, commission head said that on Friday it had received two appeals from Weah's party concerning the conduct of the election in Nimba County.

The commission has 30 days to investigate and reach a decision, she said.