Inside Story

Can Johnson Sirleaf’s successor keep Liberian momentum?

Liberians have voted to elect a new president in the first democratic transfer of power in seven decades.

There are 20 candidates vying to replace Nobel laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, including a former regional commander, a football star and a model. None of them are expected to win the required majority of votes, so it is likely there will be a runoff.

Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first female president, brought stability to Liberia during her 12 years in office after many years of civil war and a deadly Ebola outbreak.

But the West African country is today facing extreme challenges including poverty, unemployment and a crumbling infrastructure.

Presenter: James Bays

Guests:

Miatta Fahnbulleh: – Social activist and Liberian Ministry of Health’s Goodwill Ambassador

Jason Robinson – Africa analyst with Oxford Analytica

Jonathan Offei-Ansah – Publisher, Africa Briefing