The President of This Country, 2 Years Younger Than Biden, Stumbles at Inauguration Ceremony

Joseph Boakai, President of Liberia, Inaugurated on the 22nd
Speech Interrupted Due to Weather... Assisted While Descending

The elderly President of Liberia staggered during his inauguration ceremony due to the weather. On the 22nd (local time), the British BBC reported, "Joseph Boakai (79), the new president of Liberia, experienced an incident where he had to pause his speech twice during the inauguration."

As Joseph Boakai, President of Liberia, was delivering his inauguration speech, he paused, and his aides hurriedly came over to fan him.
[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Despite Liberia's characteristic hot and humid weather in West Africa, the inauguration was held outdoors at the parliament square in the capital, Monrovia. Ultimately, President Boakai staggered twice as if catching his breath during the speech, and his aides hurriedly came to fan him and assist. After finishing his speech, he was helped down by close aides, and the inauguration ceremony was scaled down.

President Boakai criticized the previous President George Weah for failing to fulfill key campaign promises such as eradicating corruption during the presidential election held last November, pledging to "save Liberia." Overcoming his defeat in the 2017 election, he won with 50.64% of the vote. Former President Weah is a former soccer star who was the first African player to win the Ballon d'Or.

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

Born in 1944, President Boakai is 79 years old. He is two years younger than U.S. President Joe Biden and two years older than former U.S. President Donald Trump. He is known as a veteran politician who served as vice president during the presidency of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's first female president and the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Although there was some confusion due to his age and the weather, he officially began his six-year term on this day. The inauguration was attended by dignitaries including Nana Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana, and Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

Meanwhile, according to the World Bank (WB), Liberia is one of the poor countries where more than one-fifth of the population lives on less than $2.15 (about 2,800 won) per day. In the 2022 annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) by the international anti-corruption organization Transparency International (TI), Liberia ranked 142nd out of 180 countries worldwide.