When former football star George Weah won Liberia’s presidential election in 2017, he promised to make "transforming the lives of all Liberians" the "singular mission" of his presidency.
But as the 53-year-old marked two years in office on January 22, some of the poor and young voters who assured Weah's landslide victory say their economic woes have worsened under his leadership, and critics said government incompetence and failure to tackle corruption were to blame…
"Weah underestimated that playing football is different from running a country," said Robtel Neajai Pailey, a Liberian political analyst. "He lacks the traditional skill set of a president but has the popular mandate to get himself a good team. Instead he has allowed himself to be advised incorrectly."
She added: "Liberians have become so politically engaged. They feel the need to go out and protest, to demand that things change, because it's hitting them where it matters most - their pockets."
