LIBERIA: Incumbent President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf queues up like an ordinary citizen to vote in her town of Fee Fee in bid to secure a second term

Record ID: 327615

  • Title: LIBERIA: Incumbent President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf queues up like an ordinary citizen to vote in her town of Fee Fee in bid to secure a second term
  • Date: 12th October 2011
  • Summary: PEOPLE QUEUING OUTSIDE POLLING STATION
  • Embargoed: 27th October 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Liberia, Liberia
  • Country: Liberia
  • Topics: Conflict,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAZC5CK7XUBR0PKDORZYBECYGV
  • Story Text: Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, voting in her hometown of Fee Fee on Tuesday (October 11), about two hours drive from the capital, said she was confident she would win.
    Liberians queued peacefully in the rain for the West African state's second presidential election since its civil war, with incumbent Sirleaf bidding for a second term.
    The election pits the newly named Nobel peace laureate against former U.N. diplomat Winston Tubman and 14 others.
    It comes at what could be a watershed moment for Liberia, with investors ready to sink billions of dollars into its mining sector and the country's potential emergence as an oil nation.
    Sirleaf said she is pleased with the way the election had been going in her home town.
    "Well the weather is good, the turnout seems to be good, so we all feel good about Liberians having their exercised choice today," Sirleaf said.
    Sirleaf had queued up outside the polling station like any ordinary citizen waiting her turn to vote.
    "I'm voting as an ordinary voter, just like any other, so I wanted to do it and fortunately they said elderly people -- which I am on -- will be given a little bit of preference so they put me in this old people's line that enabled me to vote a little earlier," Sirleaf said, "I'm optimistic, I think the Liberian people will do the right thing,"
    Passions have run high in a contest some forecast will go to a second-round run-off between Johnson-Sirleaf and Tubman.
    Many voters recall how a dispute over the outcome of the 2005 election led to days of rioting in the capital Monrovia.
    But observers said the vote so far had been peaceful.
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