Joseph Boakai will be officially inaugurated president of Liberia this Monday, January 22. He succeeds George Weah for a six-year term, after winning the presidential election of October 2023, the closest in the country’s history. The inauguration ceremony will take place at the Capitol, the seat of government, and will be attended by several dignitaries and heads of state, including the presidents of Ghana, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. An inauguration ceremony that is intended to be modest, on the part of a president wishing to set a new style.
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In December, Liberia’s new president Joseph Boakai said he wanted a simple ceremony. Instead of a large stadium as was the case for his predecessor George Weah during his inauguration, he met the Liberians on Capitol Hill, the seat of government.
“ Public fundshe said, will be better off meeting Liberia’s challenges than lavish festivities “. A way to set an example. Since his victory, Boakai has made the fight against corruption one of his priorities. Liberians are now waiting around the corner. Because there is a feeling of déjà vu. George Weah made the same speech but not his promises, observers recall.
Boakai will also be responsible for uniting a divided country, after one of the closest elections in its history.
Another pending file: the creation of a tribunal to try war criminals. Liberia has experienced two civil wars, the first from December 24, 1989 to August 2, 1997 and the second from April 21, 1999 to August 18, 2003. Liberians have been waiting for this for twenty years. Boakai promised to give it to them, but his ties to a former warlord, Prince Johnson, sow doubt.
Joseph Boakai finally promised to present an assessment of his action in 100 days, a “decisive” period for observers, which will determine the direction of his presidency.
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