Boakai, who served as vice president under former president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf from 2006 to 2018, won with 50.64 per cent of the vote, against 49.36 per cent for Weah, a former international football star who became president in 2018.
Boakai secured a narrow victory with only a 20,567-vote margin after more than 2.4 million votes were cast in the second round of the election, which was held on October 12.
The NEC president, Davidetta Browne Lansanah, said the commission had completed the ballot count and verified the results, and that Boakai had met the constitutional requirement of obtaining more than 50 per cent of the valid votes.
She said: “Political veteran Joseph Boakai was on Monday declared the winner of Liberia’s presidential election, beating incumbent George Weah, the National Electoral Commission (NEC) said after completing the ballot count.”
She added: “Boakai won with 50.64 per cent of the vote, against 49.36 per cent of the vote for former international football star Weah, Davidetta Browne Lansanah, president of the commission, told reporters.”
She also said: “Boakai won with only a 20,567-vote margin.”
The NEC president said the commission would publish the detailed results on its website and in the national gazette, and that the candidates and parties had the right to challenge the results in the Supreme Court within seven days.
She said the commission would announce the date for the inauguration of the new president after the final results are certified by the court.
She said: “The commission has 30 days to investigate and reach a decision.”
Boakai, who is 77 years old, ran on the ticket of the Unity Party, the same party that Sirleaf belonged to. He campaigned on the platform of restoring trust and integrity in the government, fighting corruption and poverty, and improving the economy and infrastructure.