General elections were held in Liberia on 11 October 2005, with a runoff election for the presidency held on 8 November. The presidency and all seats in the House of Representatives and Senate were up for election. The elections were the first held since 1997 and marked the end of the political transition following the second civil war, having been stipulated in the Accra Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2004. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former World Bank employee and Liberian finance minister, won the presidential contest and became the first democratically elected female African head of state in January 2006. Background Frances Johnson-Morris, the chairwoman of the National Elections Commission (NEC), announced the October 11 date on February 7, 2005. Elections were scheduled for all 64 seats in the House of Representatives, with each of Liberia's 15 counties having at least two seats and the remaining seats allotted proportionally based on voter registration. The Senate had 30 seats up for elections, with two from each county. Presidential candidates Prior to the election, former football star George Weah was considered by many to be the favorite, due at least partially to widespread dissatisfaction with Liberia's politicians. Weah, who had been the subject of a petition published in September 2004 urging him to run, announced his candidacy in mid-November 2004 and received a hero's welcome when he arrived in Monrovia later in the month. Weah won the first round of voting but lost in the November 8, 2005 run-off. He initially filed formal fraud charges, but subsequently dropped his allegations, citing the interests of peace. Nathaniel Barnes — Liberia Destiny Party (LDP) Charles Brumskine — Liberty Party (LP) Sekou Conneh — Progressive Democratic Party (PRODEM) Samuel Raymond Divine — Independent David Farhat — Free Democratic Party (FDP) Armah Jallah — National Party of Liberia (NPL) Ellen Johnson Sirleaf — Unity Party (UP) George Kiadii — National Vision Party of Liberia (NATVIPOL) George Klay Kieh — New Deal Movement (NDM) Joseph Korto — Liberia Equal Rights Party (LERP) Robert Kpoto — Union of Liberian Democrats (ULD) Alhaji G.V. Kromah — All Liberia Coalition Party (ALCOP) Roland Massaquoi — National Patriotic Party (NPP) John Morlu — United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Alfred Reeves — National Reformation Party (NRP) Varney Sherman — Coalition for the Transformation of Liberia (COTOL) Togba-Nah Tipoteh — Alliance for Peace and Democracy (APD) Margaret Tor-Thompson — Freedom Alliance Party of Liberia (FAPL) Winston