The inauguration of President-elect, George M. Weah, and the Vice President-elect, Jewel Howard Taylor,has been changed from January 15th to January 22nd, ghanaguardian has gathered.

The change in date follows a declaration of Monday January 1  as national Holiday by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

The inauguration of incoming President, George Weah, should have been on Monday, January 15, but ahead of the date, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf issued a rather surprising proclamation making January 1, 2018 a holiday for the first time in 12 years.

The presidential proclamation has now made Monday, January 22, the third working Monday, which becomes the day for the inauguration.

The inauguration is expected to be witnessed by distinguished personalities to include presidents, football icons, international business leaders, politicians and diplomats.

Mr Weah, 51, won the first round of the presidential election in October with 38.4% of the vote, compared with the 28.8% won by second-placed Mr Boakai, 73. The failure of any candidate to secure an outright majority forced the run-off.

The upcoming relatively peaceful transfer of power is the first in more than 70 years.

Since the 1997 inauguration of President Charles Taylor at the Centennial Pavilion, the ceremony has been held at the front of the Capitol Building, the seat of the Legislature, facing the Executive Mansion.

For this year's inauguration, however, the annexes funded by the People's Republic of China, are still under construction making the site unready for that occasion.

In 2006 and 2012, the swearing-in ceremonies were held on a platform at front view of the Legislature and conducted by the Chief Justice.

 By Fiifi Abdul Malik/ghanaguardian.comz