monrovia dozen years recovery ellen johnson sirleaf nobel peace prize help bring peace civil war turn country wasteland liberians hopeful first democratic power transfer 73 years twenty candidates stand replace johnson sirleaf first round tuesday nobody likely win majority outright top two expect face run-off around month election campaign rambunctious mainly peaceful far expectations come without bloodshed johnson sirleaf 78 many accomplishments boast since become africa first modern female head state economy four time size take office 2005. gang drug addle youths rap mutilate way across nation civil war end 2003 vivid recede memory charles taylor warlord rule liberia dark days british jail serve life sentence crimes humanity include terrorism pillage rape murder sexual slavery first former head state convict international tribunal since nuremburg yet country still one world poor survive another existential crisis three years ago outbreak ebola virus overwhelm health service residents complain corruption officials poor public service say thankful peace johnson sirleaf bring excite prospect change thing administration peace give plus say timothy sambulah taxi driver capital monrovia say able fight corruption fail deal people take money build big house front-runners include weah among front-runners see likely win place run-off vice president joseph nyuma boakai represent rule unity party football star george weah lose johnson sirleaf 2005. weah serve senate since 2014 opposition congress democratic change candidates hold enthusiastic rally attend thousands supporters wear t-shirts drench downpours carnival atmosphere many promise break past one poster carry around opponents read another six years ... photograph distress woman seat damp home wall make corrugate iron business usual go end era selective justice people give equal protection law charles walker brumskine lawyer run candidate liberty party third big congress tell reuters one diplomat say would difficult accelerate development millions dollars aid money pledge ebola outbreak dry liberia africa old republic found free u.s. slave 19th century recovery since war remarkable gdp country 4.6 million reach 2.1 billion last year 550 million year sirleaf johnson take office former finance minister 1970s flee coup work world bank citibank exile restore measure professionalism government seize military junta 1980 collapse predation warlords outside home country johnson sirleaf serve ambassador peace unstable region don colorful headscarves diplomatic missions one last year persuade gambia ruler yahya jammeh step still many liberians say fail stamp graft nepotism hold country back son robert sirleaf senior advisor run state oil firm nocal collapse tenure crude price slump 2015. son charles among 45 government officials suspend 2012 fail declare assets anti-corruption authorities declare assets year last year grand jury indict government officials include speaker parliament charge include bribery high level corruption slap face liberians live abject poverty say liberian political analyst robtel neajai pailey also criticize describe hero worship johnson sirleaf version story correct gender pronoun final paragraph refer expert johnson sirleaf exit liberians thankful peace excite change