2005 Liberian general election

Presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled to be held in Liberia on October 11, 2005. The country has been led by a transitional government since October 2003—which took office following the resignation and departure into exile of President Charles Taylor in August 2003, as part of a deal to end the country's second civil war—and these elections will mark the end of the transition.

Frances Johnson-Morris, the chairwoman of the National Elections Commission (NEC), announced the October 11 date on February 7, 2005, and said that results would be announced no later than October 26. She also said that candidates would have until mid-August to apply to run, and that a registration campaign for eligible voters would be held from April 25 to May 21. Campaigning for the elections is scheduled to begin on September 1; according to Johnson-Morris, anyone campaigning before that date will be penalized. As of February, 18 parties have registered, and more than 40 people have expressed interest in running for president, including football (soccer) star George Weah, considered by some to be the favorite in the election, who launched his campaign in November 2004 at the head of his Congress for Democratic Change party.¹ The new parliament will have 64 seats; each of Liberia's 15 counties will have two seats, and the remaining 34 seats will allotted proportionally based on voter registration.

These will be Liberia's first elections since a victory by Taylor and his National Patriotic Party in the July 1997 elections. The chairman of the transitional government, Gyude Bryant, and other members of the transitional government will not run, according to the terms of the peace deal.

Reference

Manchester Evening News, "President George", February 19, 2005.

Agence France-Presse (AFP), "Liberia to hold elections October 11", February 7, 2005.
AFP, "Liberia electoral reform bill signed into law", December 17, 2004.