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MONROVIA, Liberia, Nov 23, 2005 (UPI via COMTEX) -- "Iron Lady" Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has won Liberia's a hotly contested presidential race to become Africa's first elected female head of state.
Johnson-Sirleaf, a Harvard-educated economist and veteran politician, took 59.4 percent of the vote in balloting earlier this month vs. 40.6 percent for ex-soccer star George Weah, the BBC reported.
Supporters said they planned low-key celebrations to avoid confrontations with Weah's backers, who mounted protests alleging vote fraud.
While international observers said the balloting appeared fair, Weah's backers said they would go to Liberia's Supreme Court if an election commission rejects fraud allegations.
U.N. peacekeepers had deployed in Monrovia, blocking traffic in the center of the Liberian capital, to avoid violence related to the first election since the African nation ended 15 years of civil war.
Johnson-Sirleaf, a former World Bank economist, is known as the "Iron Lady" for her sometimes harsh approach, she said in a recent Time interview.
URL: www.upi.com Copyright 2005 by United Press International
