In Liberia, a contentious election will open the door to interference and/or a presidential runoff that could spark violence. But regardless of who wins the presidency, a divided legislature will likely constrain policymaking. Liberians will head to the polls on Oct. 10 for what will be their country's fourth general election since the end of its second civil war in 2003. In the presidential race, incumbent candidate George Weah is competing against 19 challengers, while in the concurrent legislative election, over 150 candidates are running for 73 House of Representatives seats and 15 Senate seats. President Weah's main rivals are former Vice President Joseph Boakai, businessman Alexander Cummings, and human rights lawyer Taiwan Gongloe. While Weah commands strong popularity (in part due to his former stardom as a soccer player), high inflation, rampant corruption and alleged extrajudicial killings challenge his reelection. Weah's Coalition of Democratic Change (CDC) – comprising Centre...
