Election campaigning starts in Liberia after 14 years of civil war

Monrovia (dpa) - Campaigning kicked off Monday in Liberia's first presidential and parliamentary elections after its 14 years of civil war that claimed about 250,000 lives.

The October 11 polls, expected to signal a new chapter of democracy for the West African nation, will seek to create a successor to the current transitional government.

Currently, 22 candidates are in the running for president to replace transitional president Gyude Bryant who took office in October 2003.

A complaint lodged against presidential favourite, soccer icon George Weah, alleging dual nationality was dismissed.

The Liberian constitution forbids persons with dual nationality from becoming president. Weah leads the Congress for Democratic Change party.

Former president Charles Taylor, accused of crimes against humanity, fled to exile in Nigeria in 2003. International pressure has been mounting on Nigeria to send Taylor to a U.N.-backed war crimes court in Sierra Leone. dpa ebk mga ds