MONROVIA, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Liberia's Opposition leader, Joseph Boakai, is on course to become the next president, as preliminary election results announced on Friday showed him leading with a slim margin over incumbent George Weah. With nearly all votes counted, Boakai, a former vice president, has garnered 50.89% of the votes, while Weah trails behind with 49.11%, according to the country's elections commission. Final results are expected to be released in the coming days.

Boakai, 78, campaigned on a platform of rescuing Liberia from what he described as mismanagement by Weah's administration. Weah's first term as president was tainted by allegations of corruption, and Boakai capitalized on public disillusionment with the lack of progress in reducing poverty, unemployment, food insecurity, and improving electricity supply.

This current election result marks a significant turnaround from the previous election in 2017 when global soccer legend Weah won with a decisive 62 percent of the vote, defeating Boakai. However, the prevailing sentiment in Liberia has shifted since then, with growing discontent over the lack of tangible improvements.

Boakai, a seasoned and soft-spoken career politician, is currently leading Weah by more than 28,000 votes, according to the latest results. Both candidates competed in a run-off election on Tuesday after emerging as front-runners from the first round of voting held in October. However, neither candidate received the required 50% majority, leading to the run-off.

The Liberian people expressed hope and optimism after the announcement of the near-final results. Supporters in the capital, Monrovia, celebrated by dancing, shouting, and honking car horns even in the rain. Boakai's spokesperson, Amara Konneh, stated in an interview, "We can safely declare victory - Boakai is the next president, but we will wait for the final results before celebrating."

As the country awaits the official confirmation of the final results, all eyes are now on Joseph Boakai as he stands on the cusp of becoming Liberia's next president. His supporters anticipate his leadership to bring much-needed change and address the unresolved issues that have plagued the nation.