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Weah Withdraws Protest

Liberian Observer (Monrovia)
NEWS
December 21, 2005
Posted to the web December 21, 2005
Monrovia
Defeated presidential candidate George Weah has finally backed out of his
electoral fraud case against the National Elections Commission.
The standard bearer of the Congress for Democratic Change told supporters at
the party's headquarters in Congo Town today that he was withdrawing the case
from the Supreme Court.
Weah, who has been challenging the results of the November 8 presidential run-
off won by his political rival Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, has been under pressure
locally and internationally to concede defeat.
His finally budged today, about 24 hours after he disappointed the public with
his abrupt cancellation of the much-anticipated announcement. A reporter of
Radio Veritas, informing his station from the CDC headquarters in Congo Town,
said the defeated presidential candidate made his announcement in a press
release.
Flanked by his political advisers Alhaji Kromah of the All-Liberia Coalition
Party, Togba_Nah Tipoteh, of the three-party Alliance of Peace and Democracy
and medical practitioner-turned politician Dr. Robert Kpoto, Weah said he would
no longer pursue his case against NEC.
Mr. Weah stopped short of conceding defeat in the presidential runo-ff
election, which NEC confirmed on Monday as having been won by Madam Sirleaf.
But his statement yesterday means that the election results will no longer be
challenged, and that the inauguration can go ahead without the fear of the
President and Vice President of Liberia having to face future legal challenges
over the vote that brought them to power.

   

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