#Liberiadecides: Gongloe gives up, tips Boakai or Wear to win election

In an address to the public on Thursday, October 12, Gongloe, a respected legal figure, said that while his political party has campaigned on policy issues, it is clear that the elections will be won either by the President or his main political opponent, Boakai.

Citing data from his poll watchers, Gongloe conceded defeat as his presidential campaign would not receive the number of votes needed to win the election or cruise to the runoff.

“From the results thus far, the Liberian people decided to vote for the current ruling party and the former ruling party,” the lawyer-turned politician said yesterday while conceding defeat. “The decision of the Liberian people is not a reflection of the failure of the other parties to campaign.”

“We can say without any fear of contradiction that our party, the Liberian People’s Party (LPP), campaigned tirelessly across Liberia and explained its ten-point ‘Better Liberia Agenda’ to the Liberian people,” Gongloe added.

He noted that while he has campaigned on strengthening the rule of law, combating corruption, providing critical life-changing social services, and decentralizing the economy, the Liberian people have seen it fitting to continue the political dominance of the two parties.

According to Gongloe, initial results announced by the National Elections Commission clearly show that the election is a two-horse race and will be won by either the opposition Unity Party or the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change.

His concession comes as results from 389 polling places out of 5,860 show him trailing behind Boakai and Weah with 4,483 (3.59%). The numbers, sources close to Gongloe believe, will likely increase, placing him third or fourth. It would not do much to change the trend of the elections, fueling his drive to concede early on, becoming the first presidential candidate to do so.

The ongoing election tally has so far demonstrated a neck-and-neck race between Weah, a former international football superstar, and Boakai, a seasoned politician who has served as Vice President of Liberia. Both candidates have strong followings as a result of their political name recognition.

“While the reports on the legislative election are still scanty, we can safely say that in the presidential election, the Liberian people have spoken, and we respect their decision,” Gongloe said. “Therefore, we call upon all of our partisans and non-partisans who supported us to accept our decision and remain calm and peaceful.

“We have gathered from our poll watchers and other sources that our party is not one of the two parties that are likely to win. It is clear that the presidential election will be won by either the Unity Party or the ruling party,” he said.