UN forces beat back Liberian election losers

UN forces fired tear gas and used batons to beat back rock-throwing supporters of a soccer-star candidate who claims his Harvard-educated female rival stole Liberia’s presidential runoff.

Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s opponent, soccer star George Weah, rejected Tuesday’s poll as fraudulent, though foreign observers reported few problems. Weah campaign officials said they petitioned the Supreme Court to halt vote counting, but the court rejected the appeal and referred them to the National Elections Commission.

With 97% of ballots counted, the electoral commission said Johnson-Sirleaf was leading with 59.4 percent to Weah’s 40.6. If the results are certified, Johnson-Sirleaf would become the first woman elected president in Africa.

At Weah’s Congress for Democratic Change headquarters, the socer star called on about 1,500 supporters shouting “No Weah, Peace!” to remain calm yesterday.

“You have to be courageous because you have not lost the elections,” a black-suited Weah said, two huge gold rings on his hand and sweat pouring from his furled brow.

“You have to trust me. Do not, do not in the name of peace, go on the street and riot,” he said. “People are frightened. We want no more war. ... Let us take our time and be peaceful.”

Liberia has been devastated by coups, fighting and poverty for a quarter of a century. Many hoped the presidential vote would bring a new era of peace to the war-ravaged country, where 15,000 UN peacekeepers are deployed.

The UN peacekeeping force said in a statement it ”reiterates that it will deal firmly and decisively with any attempts, by any persons, who would seek to use violence to derail the elections process or to undermine peace or public order.”

Late on Thursday, Johnson-Sirleaf claimed victory. For that to be confirmed, the electoral commission must complete ballot counting and officially certify the results, a process that could take days.

After Weah’s speech yesterday, thousands of angry supporters waving tree branches symbolising peace marched down the middle of main road. They poured past the barbed-wire-protected, UN-guarded National Elections Commission, and headed into the city centre. UN troops and police cordoned off streets around Johnson-Sirleaf’s downtown headquarters.

International observer teams from the US, the European Union and the Economic Community of West African States have all deemed the vote fair and said they saw no widespread irregularities.

Separately yesterday, the UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution authorising UN peacekeepers to arrest former President Charles Taylor if he returns home and hand him over to the war crimes tribunal in Sierra Leone for prosecution.