Liberia's Election Marks Major Milestone For The Country

Liberia's Election Marks Major Milestone For The Country

By Ethan Weston

By Ethan Weston
December 28, 2017

December 28, 2017

The country hasn't seen a peaceful transfer of power since the 1940s.

SHOW TRANSCRIPT

Liberia is set to elect its new president, and it's a pretty big milestone for the country.

Former soccer star George Weah is leading by over 20 points with almost all of the votes counted.

This will be the first democratic transfer of power in the country since 1944.

Outgoing President Ellen Sirleaf was elected after a civil war deposed then-President Charles Taylor.

Additional reporting from Newsy affiliate CNN.

TRENDING IN World NEWS

Memorial for victims of volcanic eruption

Death Toll Rises To 16 After Volcanic Eruption In New Zealand

Former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir

Former Sudanese President Al-Bashir Sentenced To 2 Years Detention

The Armenian genocide memorial complex

Senate Passes Resolution To Officially Recognize The Armenian Genocide

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson waves to the public outside of his residence on Downing Street

How We Got Here: A Brexit Timeline

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson's Conservative Party Wins Majority In U.K. Parliament

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at UN climate summit in Madrid.

Getty Images/Sean Gallup

U.N.: Resisting Action On Climate Is 'A Recipe For Economic Disaster'

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Kelly Craft

U.S. Mission to the United Nations

N. Korea Accuses U.S. Of Provocation After Criticism Of Missile Tests

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

India Deploys Military Over Protests Against Citizenship Bill

A woman turns in her ballot during an Israeli general election

Israel To Hold Unprecedented Third Election In One Year

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

India Passes Controversial Bill Limiting Citizenship For Muslims

Boeing 737 Max 8 pulls into its gate

FAA Predicted More Than A Dozen More Crashes But Didn't Ground 737 Max

People head to a polling place

U.K. General Election 2019: Here's What To Expect

A U.S. Air Force plane at the Incirlik Air Force Base in Turkey

Turkey Threatens To Pull U.S. Air Base Use If Sanctions Are Imposed

Myanmar civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi

International Court of Justice

Myanmar Denies Genocide Allegations Before U.N. Court

White Island volcano in New Zealand

Growing Volcanic Activity Hampers White Island Recovery Efforts

People take part in a candle light vigil to remember journalist Jamal Khashoggi

Saudi Diplomat Barred From Entering U.S. Over Role In Khashoggi Death

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel Faces Potential Third Election

Volcano erupts on New Zealand White Island

8 Missing People Presumed Dead After New Zealand Volcanic Eruption

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

India Citizenship Bill Puts Muslims At Risk Of Deportation

The "Normandy Four" meet in Paris

Ukraine And Russia Presidents Meet Face To Face For Peace Talks

Protesters in Dec. 8 march.

Hundreds of Thousands Gather For Largest Hong Kong Protest In Months

Factory Fire In New Delhi Kills At Least 43

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un

North Korea Says Denuclearization Off The Negotiating Table With U.S.

Missile on display in Iranian military parade.

Getty Images/Majid Saeedi

U.S. Military Officials Say Iran Is Stashing Missiles In Iraq

A Filipino child suffering from measles receives treatment

WHO, CDC Say Measles Cases Spiked Globally Last Year

London Fire Brigade Commissioner Dany Cotton

London's Fire Chief Resigns Amid Grenfell Tower Fire Criticism

Iranian official speaks at rally in Tehran to denounce violent protests over fuel price hike

Washington Says Iran May Have Killed Over 1,000 Iranians Amid Protests

China To Waive Tariffs On Some U.S. Pork, Soybean Purchases

President Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron

U.S.-France Trade Fight Is The Latest Front In Digital Tax Debate

Igor Turashev and Maksim Yakubets

U.S. Department of Justice

DOJ Unseals Indictment Against Russian Nationals In Hacking Case

Nurses conduct Ebola vaccine trials

Vaccine Alliance To Fund Global Stockpile Of Ebola Vaccines

Traffic resulting from protests in France

Mass Strikes Over Macron's Pension System Overhaul Disrupt France

WSJ: White House Considering Sending 14,000 More Troops To Middle East

Huawei Sues FCC Over New Restrictions

President Donald Trump

President Trump Cancels NATO Press Conference

Uighurs in China

House Votes To Sanction Chinese Officials For Uighur Abuse

Huawei Moving U.S. Research Center To Canada

Typhoon Kammuri in the Philippines

Typhoon Forces Mass Evacuations In The Philippines

Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un.

North Korea Threatens U.S. With Unwanted 'Christmas Gift'

People near a COP25 sign

Pablo Blazquez Dominguez

Climate Summit Kicks Off With Dire Warnings From Top U.N. Officials

A Shot From Police Killed A Protester In Colombia. Here's How We Know.

Jennifer Smart / Newsy

A Shot From Police Killed A Protester In Colombia. Here's How We Know.

Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy

Zelenksyy Denies Quid Pro Quo But Questions Hold On Aid To Ukraine

President Donald Trump

What's On President Trump's Agenda For The NATO Leaders Summit?

A child in Samoa receives the measles vaccine

Government of Samoa

Samoa To Shut Down Government To Help With Measles Outbreak

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel's Attorney General Files Indictment Against Netanyahu

Rail cars loaded with rolled up steel.

Trump Imposes Steel And Aluminum Tariffs On Brazil, Argentina

Multiple Chinese flags

China Retaliates Against U.S. For Support Of Hong Kong Protests

The City Hall of Villa Union is damaged with bullet holes

CNN Newssource

At Least 20 People Killed In Weekend Shootings In Northern Mexico

Boris Johnson Orders Review Following London Knife Attack

Reuters: EU Antitrust Regulators Investigating Google Data Collection

People surround the area where a stabbing took place in The Hague, Netherlands.

Man Arrested On Suspicion Of Stabbing 3 Teens In The Netherlands

Multiple People Dead After 'Terrorist Incident' Near London Bridge

An astronaut in space

European Space Agency

European Space Agency Gets More Funding For Future Space Exploration

Bolivia's Interim Government Appoints Temporary U.S. Ambassador

A Mercedes-Benz SUV on display

Daimler To Lay Off Thousands Of Workers Over 2 Years

Climate protesters dressed as penguins

Getty Images/Sean Gallup

European Parliament Declares 'Climate Emergency' To Reduce Emissions

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani meets with U.S. President Donald Trump

Office of the Afghan President

Trump Says Taliban Wants To 'Make A Deal' — Here's Where Talks Stand

Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi

After Weeks Of Protests, Iraqi Prime Minister Says He'll Resign

A kitten in a tree

EU 'Categorically' Denies That It Will Ever Force Cats To Stay Inside

China Says U.S. Bills On Hong Kong Are 'Doomed To Fail'

President Trump talks to military members in Afghanistan

Twitter / @Scavino45

President Trump Makes Surprise Trip To Afghanistan On Thanksgiving

Colombian demonstrators

Getty Images/Guillermo Lagaria

Colombians Protest Over Economic Concerns, Teen's Death

A poster of Simon Cheng

Hong Kong Man Files Complaint About Broadcast Of Forced Confession

U.S. To Reduce Its Contribution To NATO's Central Budget

rovingl / CC BY 2.0

Northern Ireland To Restart Talks To Restore Devolved Government

President Donald Trump

President Trump Signs Bills Supporting Hong Kong Protesters

Measles as seen under a microscope

Measles Outbreak In Samoa Kills At Least 33, Prompting Help From CDC

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen makes a speech.

European Commission

New European Commission President Pledges To Focus On Climate Change

Mexican army unit on patrol against drug traffickers in Juarez.

Getty Images/Spencer Platt

Trump Seeks 'Terrorist' Designation For Mexican Drug Cartel Networks

Lawmakers visit the the Hong Kong Polytechnic University where protesters took over

Hong Kong Polytechnic University Cleared Of Protesters

Syrian Refugee Camp, Northern Iraq

Elizabeth Hagedorn/Yad Haval Deen

Syrian Refugees Seek Way To Avoid Serving In Hostile Military

Fighters in Yemeni civil war man squalid, frontline position.

Getty Images/Andrew Renneisen

Amid Civil War And Famine, Yemen Is Facing A New Killer: Dengue Fever

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

Human Rights Group Says More Journalists Arrested In Saudi Arabia

A damaged building from an earthquake in Albania Nov. 26, 2019

CNN Newssource

Rescue Operations Underway Following Deadly Earthquake In Albania

Acting White House chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney

Washington Post: Emails Show Effort to Justify Ukraine Aid Withholding

Leaked Documents Reveal China's Directive For Detention Camps

Hamida Khelo Hemsoro, Yazidi woman

Elizabeth Hagedorn / Yad Haval Deen

Yazidi Family Finds Safety In Syrian Refugee Camp

Part of the Green Vault in Dresden, Germany

Thieves Steal 'Priceless' Diamond Jewelry From German Museum

Uber app on a phone screen.

Uber Lost Its License To Operate In London

Helene de Ponsay shows a CNN reporter a photo of her murdered sister, Marie-Alice Dibon.

France Unveils New Measures To Help Prevent Domestic Violence

People line up at a polling station to vote in the Hong Kong District Council elections on November 24, 2019

Pro-Democracy Lawmakers Score Big In Hong Kong Election

People line up at a polling station in hong Kong, China.

Record Number Of Voters Turned Out For Hong Kong's Local Election

Lawmakers In Bolivia Approve New Elections

President Donald Trump

President Trump Weighing Whether To Sign Hong Kong Bill

A Red Cross medic attends to man injured by a pellet during Chilean street protests.

Getty Images/Marcelo Hernandez

Report: Chilean Security Forces Seeking To Injure, Punish Protesters

FCC Moves To Keep China Out Of U.S. Telecom Networks

Forensic officers investigate a truck in which 39 bodies were discovered in the trailer

Another Arrest Made In Connection To 39 Bodies Found In Truck

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Netanyahu Vows To Stay In Office Despite Bribery And Fraud Charges

Technology is only partially responsible for teen inactivity, WHO says.

81% Of The World's 11-To-17-Year-Olds Aren't Active Enough

Isreali Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu Indicted On Corruption Charges

Blue and White Party leader Benny Gantz announces his failure to form a coalition government.

Getty Images/Amir Levy

Israel's Leadership In Doubt After Second Failure To Form A Government

President Donald Trump

China Urges Trump To Veto Hong Kong Legislation

U.S. troops in South Korea

Pentagon Denies Report About Possible Troop Cuts In South Korea

U.K.'s Prince Andrew To 'Step Back' From Royal Duties

Protesters at Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Few Dozen Protesters Remain At Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Hong Kong's Polytechnic University

Reactions To Protests At Hong Kong's Polytechnic University