Incumbent Liberian president leads in presidential race

Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has maintained her lead in the presidential race, according to provisional results announced by the National Elections Commission (NEC) Friday. According to the results released by NEC Chairman James M. Fromoyan, Unity Party's Ellen Johnson Sirleaf obtained 265,883 or 44.5 percent of the votes tallied so far, while her main rival Winston Tubman of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) received 172,681 representing 29.5 percent of the total number of votes tallied so far. Former Warlord, now Senator Prince Y. Johnson of the National Union for Democratic Progress has maintained his third position with 66,419 votes, representing 11.4 percent, while Charles Brumskine of the Liberty Party polled 38,069 votes representing or 6.5 percent of the total votes counted and collated so far. The figures were tallied from 2,242 of the 4,457 polling places in the country, representing a little over 50 percent of the total number of votes counted and collated so far. According to Chairman Fromoyan, voter turn-out remains at 70.2 percent. He added that of the 629,627 counted so far, the total number of valid votes are 585,179, while invalid votes are 44,498. Fromoyan said the Commission is working within 15 days as of the date of day of the October 11 election date to come out with the final result, but assured that the final results would be announced before the October 26 date. Meanwhile, Liberia's Police Inspector-General, Marc Amblard has warned would-be trouble makers planning to disrupt the current peace and create post-election difficulties for the government to abandon their the move. "We will not compromise the peace Liberians have enjoyed since 2006 following its return to constitutional democracy, Inspector- General Amblard told reporters on Friday. The warning comes against the backdrop of reported planned demonstration in Monrovia on the conduct of the just-ended general and presidential elections. He said those who work within the law have nothing to fear as the police will ensure their civil liberty remains intact but those wishing to undermine peace will face the raft of the police. Stalwarts of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) of ex-UN Secretary General Special envoy to Somalia, Cllr. Winston Tubman are unhappy with the unofficial results announced by various media outlets in the country since election ended Tuesday ahead of NEC's official results. Threatening remarks continue to be released particularly by officials of the CDC, the police boss said. Also, the Carter Center Election Observation Mission to Liberia has released preliminary report on the conduct of Liberia's 2011 general and presidential elections describing the voting process as transparent and encouraged citizens to await final results. "All Liberians should await the announcement of final results by the National Election Commission (NEC) and the resolution of formal complaints in order to ensure that the will of the people is expressed," a Carter statement issued on Friday said. Addressing a news conference in Monrovia, the head of mission, former Nigerian head of state, Yakubu Gowon said the poll mark an important test for Liberia's transition from civil war to democratic, constitutional government.