MONROVIA, Liberia ? Liberia’s 19th president was overthrown and assassinated. His successor was executed by guerrillas who first cut off his ears. No. 21 won office after igniting a civil war but fled into exile amid a rebel assault on the capital.

Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf – a strong-willed, erudite, 67-year-old former finance minister – wants to be No. 23.

If her commanding electoral lead is certified, she will become Africa’s first elected female head of state, one of the few in the world.

“It’s a big task. I’m aware of the enormity of this,” a bespectacled Johnson-Sirleaf said in an interview at her residence this week. “But I also think that I’m up to the task.”

With more than 99 percent of ballots counted Saturday, Johnson-Sirleaf was poised for near-certain victory in Tuesday’s runoff, racking up a solid 59.6 percent of the vote compared with 40.4 percent for her soccer star rival, George Weah.

Though international observers say the poll was fair, Weah has waged a formal complaint of fraud.

Though a return to war is unlikely with 15,000 U.N. peacekeepers on guard, memories of recent fighting, and fears of more, abound.