Скачать или смотреть LIBERIA: MONROVIA: PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS TAKE PLACE PEACEFULLY

(20 Jul 1997) Natural Sound

International observers on Sunday described Liberia's peaceful presidential elections as remarkable.

An estimated 80 per cent of the electorate turned out in balloting that is part of a peace accord ending seven years of civil war.

Official results are not expected until later this week. But initial results showed that former warlord Charles Taylor had about two-thirds of votes counted.

Ending seven years of civil war - 80 per cent of Liberians eligible to vote turned out to elect a president on Saturday.

Partial results were expected Sunday evening, but final results are not expected for another five days because of the country's poor communications and difficult terrain.

More than 18-hundred boxes of ballots from Saturday's vote are being counted by hand across the country with the results to be sent to the capital, Monrovia.

Fears that the ballot might spark violence came to nothing - the election day passed without incident.

Just 14 months ago, this West African country founded by freed American slaves, was mired in brutal, factional fighting that left the streets littered with bodies and dominated by gun-toting thugs.

But during the election, the main candidates have preached peace and reconciliation.

A West African peacekeeping army known as ECOMOG, provided security during the vote.

These troops are due to begin pulling out of Liberia in six months.
But there are already concerns their departure could prompt a new round of factional warfare.

One of the front-runners in Saturday's vote is warlord Charles Taylor, who started Liberia's civil war in 1989.

Taylor is the favourite to win and early results showed him with 62 per cent of votes counted.

If he loses, he has said he would be willing to accept a position in a government led by another victor.

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...