Harvard-trained Iron Lady Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf appeared to be Africa's first elected female president as results from 90.8 percent of the polling stations on Thursday gave her a commanding advantage over football great George Weah in Liberia's post-war presidential runoff.

The 66-year-old grandmother and former finance minister had 59. 1 percent of the votes while the 39-year-old former FIFA player of the year had 40.9 percent, Frances Johnson-Morris, chairwoman of the National Elections Commission, told a news conference.

Voter turnout was 59.8 percent from 2,719 of the 3,070 polling stations across the war-torn west African country, she said.

"We are elated that the Liberian people have placed their trust in us, but we will not make any official statement until the final results are announced," Morris Dukuley, spokesman for the Harvard- trained economist told Xinhua.

"We are waiting for the final results and from there, we will tell you what next," Dukuley said.

The camp of Weah, who rose from the slumps by dropping out of high school to take up a football career and became a millionaire, was not available for comments now, but Weah himself claimed on Wednesday that the election was marred by fraud and accused Johnson-Morris of bias against him.

At a news conference, he claimed that more than 35 pre-marked ballot papers intended to be stuffed in ballot boxes in favor of his challenger, were intercepted by his supporter as evidence to prove his claims.

Johnson-Morris said that the electoral body had received a formal complaint from Weah and investigation into fraud allegation of Tuesday's runoff got underway. "Hearings have been held today into the case filed by George Weah and the CDC (his party) and ruling is now being prepared by our legal department," she said.

The 28-member multinational delegation jointly organized by National Democratic Institute and the Carter Center released its preliminary report on Thursday on the runoff, the first since the end of the country's 14-year civil war in 2003.

"Overall, election day was calm and peaceful with few reported incidents of violence," they said. "Liberians across the country expressed to observers their strong desire for peace and reconciliation, and their commitment to the democratic process as the means of choosing their leaders."

They recommended that the electoral body "ensure that all election disputes are handled expeditiously upon submission of complaints, and in an impartial manner." "Rulings should be announced as quickly as possible, with immediate redress and effective remedies provided as appropriate," they noted.

Meanwhile, both parties should "continue to instruct their party members and supporters to do the same and to refrain from violence. Both parties should refrain from inflammatory rhetoric or premature celebrations."

Analysts fear the worst that angry supporters of Weah, mostly youth, might turn to violence over the fraud allegations if he lost to Liberia's foremost female politician. Weah and Johnson- Sirleaf obtained 28.3 percent and 19.8 percent respectively in the first round.

Liberia, founded in 1847 by freed American slaves, experienced a bloody civil war from 1989 to 2003 in which an estimated 250,000 people, about eight percent of its population, died and about one million made refugees.

The issues the winner will have to contend with are reconciliation among Liberians and reconstruction of basic social services such as schools, health care facilities, roads, safe drinking water, electricity as well as reintegrating thousands of ex-combatants and the creation of job opportunities.

Illiteracy rate in the west African state stands at about 85 percent and unemployment is put at 80 percent. The country also owes an external debt around 3 billion US dollars.

And the election is seen as the last hope of the war-torn country, blessed with diamond, gold, timber, iron ore and rubber as well as fertile soil, for a brighter future provided the outcome is accepted by all Liberians.

Source: Xinhua