With less than two weeks to go before a presidential run-off, soccer legend George Weah and former finance minister Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf are vying for the backing of the 20 candidates eliminated in the first round. And their supporters. Under the watchful eye of UN peacekeepers and Liberian police, electoral officials on Wednesday announced the final results of the 11 October ballot and confirmed that no-one had won the required absolute majority. Weah, the first African to be named world footballer of the year, captured 28.3 percent of the votes. Sirleaf, a Harvard-educated economist who could become Africa's first female leader, came in second with 19.8 percent. Thursday sees the start of the official campaign for the 8 November run-off, but political jockeying began behind the scenes almost as soon as the first-round ballot was over and "King George" and the "Iron Lady" emerged as the frontrunners. Weah, a rare success story in a country torn apart by 14 years of civil conflict, touts his shantytown origins and his mass popularity, declaring he is the only one who can engage the legions of idle youths that are crucial to the country's future stability. His critics say his ambitions are laudable but that now is not the time for a political novice and Liberia needs an experienced head at this crucial juncture in its post-war recovery. On Wednesday, both candidates offered familiar pitches to sway undecided voters, as well as potential allies. "The results clearly show that I got the highest number of votes in the first round. This shows the level of massive support from the people," Weah told reporters in the Centennial Pavilion, where he could be inaugurated as the next president of Liberia in January. "It is time that the Liberian people vote for competence and experience,” Sirleaf said. “With my background and experience, I am sure that the people will elect me as their new leader who will provide equal opportunity for all and take Liberia from its backward state to meaningful development." Diplomats say positions in the new government are no doubt being offered as sweeteners, but not everyone is rushing to sign up for the George and Ellen camps. Potential kingmaker Charles Brumskine, the lawyer and one-time Senate leader who finished in third place with 13.9 percent of the vote, has said he will not take sides. "I believe that God's will cannot, and shall not be perverted. Against this background... I cannot, and therefore will not, endorse another person for the position of president," Brumskine said in a statement.
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