Liberian general election, 1997

Liberian presidential election, 1997

19 July 1997

Nominee Charles Taylor Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Party National Patriotic Unity Popular vote 468,443 59,557 Percentage 75.33% 9.58%

President before election Ruth Perry Independent Elected President Charles Taylor National Patriotic

Liberia
This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Liberia
Constitution 1847 Constitution
Legislature Senate House of Representatives
Executive President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Vice President Joseph Boakai Cabinet
Judiciary Supreme Court Chief Justice: J. N. Lewis Human rights
Recent elections General: 2011 2005 1997 1985
Political parties Unity Party Congress for Democratic Change Liberty Party
Administrative divisions Counties Districts Clans
Other countries Atlas Politics portal

The 1997 Liberian general election was held on 19 July 1997 as part of the 1996 peace agreement ending the First Liberian Civil War. The presidency, as well as all seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate were up for election. Voter turnout was around 89%.^[1]

Former rebel leader Charles Taylor and his National Patriotic Party (NPP) won the election by a substantial margin; Taylor won 75.3% of the vote in the presidential election, whilst the NPP won the same number of votes in the parliamentary election.^[2] Taylor was inaugurated as president on 2 August 1997.

Taylor campaigned on the slogan "He killed my ma, he killed my pa, but I will vote for him."^[3] The elections were overseen by the United Nations' peacekeeping mission, United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia, along with a contingent from the Economic Community of West African States.^[4] Taylor won the election in a landslide, garnering 75 percent of the vote. Taylor's toughest competitor, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, collected only 10 percent of the vote. Taylor's victory has been widely attributed to the belief that he would resume the war if he lost.

Results

Presidential election

Note: The Alliance of Political Parties was a coalition of the Liberian Action Party (LAP) and Liberia Unification Party (LUP).

Legislative results

Due to the system of proportional representation used in the election, legislative seats were distributed to parties on the basis of percentage of votes won by their respective presidential candidates.

Note: The Alliance of Political Parties was a coalition of the Liberian Action Party (LAP) and Liberia Unification Party (LUP).

See also

• History of Liberia
• First Liberian Civil War

References

Elections and referendums in Liberia Presidential elections 1847 1849 1851 1853 1855 1857 1859 1861 1863 1865 1867 1869 1871 1873 1875 1877 1879 1881 1883 1885 1887 1889 1891 1893 1895 1897 1899 1901 1903 1905 1907 1911 1915 1919 1923 1927 1931 1939 1943 1951 1955 1959 1963 1967 1971 1975 1985 1997 2005 2011 Legislative elections 1847 1849 1851 1853 1855 1857 1859 1861 1863 1865 1867 1869 1871 1873 1875 1877 1879 1881 1883 1885 1887 1889 1891 1893 1895 1897 1899 1901 1903 1905 1907 1911 1915 1919 1923 1927 1931 1935 1939 1943 1951 1955 1959 1963 1967 1971 1975 1985 1997 2005 2011 2014 Referendums 1846 1847 1849 1861 1869 1870 1907 1927 1935 1943 1945 1946 1949 1955 1972 1975 1984 2011 See also: Elections and referendums in the Republic of Maryland