MONROVIA, Liberia (Reuters) -- Election workers toiled by lamplight on Wednesday to count votes from Liberia's presidential election pitting millionaire soccer star George Weah against former World Bank economist Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.In the shattered capital Monrovia, racked by a 14-year civil war that ended in 2003, large groups gathered on the darkened streets outside tea houses to debate the outcome, as local radio announced results polling station by polling station."This is about Liberia. It doesn't matter if Ellen wins or George wins," said Dash Hammond, 30, to cheers from friends. "Today we Liberians are living like animals. We need someone who can unify the Liberian people."The runoff to choose the first post-war president pits the celebrity of Weah, 39, against the qualifications of Johnson-Sirleaf, a 66-year-old Harvard trained economist who has served as finance minister.Weah's opponents say the former FIFA world player of the Year --- a high school drop-out and political novice -- lacks the experience to reconstruct the West African country, still without running water or mains electricity two years after the war.But his supporters say "King George" is untainted by politicians' responsibility for the conflict, which killed 250,000 Liberians and sent a generation of Kalashnikov-wielding child soldiers spilling over the borders into Sierra Leone and Cote d'Ivoire.The footballer topped the October 11 first round with 28 percent of the vote, ahead of Johnson-Sirleaf on 20 percent, and twenty other candidates.Whoever wins the runoff, the result will make history.Grandmother Johnson-Sirleaf could become Africa's first elected female president, while a win for Weah would make him the world's first top international footballer to become a head of state.Step forwardWith U.N. military helicopters patrolling Liberia's skies and blue-bereted troops outside polling stations across the country, Alan Doss, head of the 15,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping mission in Liberia, said the runoff vote went smoothly without serious incidents. Five people were arrested."Liberia's voters have taken a major step toward rebuilding their nation," Doss told a news conference.In contrast to the Oct. 11 ballot when enthusiastic Liberians swamped polling stations, Tuesday's turnout was more subdued.Results are expected to take several days to trickle in from across the war-ravaged country, with more than 1.3 million people registered to vote in 3,070 polling stations."We Liberians are sick, weary and tired of war. All we hope for is peace, and once we have peace in Liberia, all the other things will come, said Sawyeah Torley, 36, a computer company employee voting in Monrovia.Founded in 1847 by freed American slaves, Liberia enjoyed years of prosperity until resentment with the tiny ruling elite descended from slave families bubbled over into years of sporadic warfare.The United Nations maintains an export ban on Liberian timber and diamonds, but many observers have called for that to be lifted following the exile of former warlord-turned-president Charles Taylor to Nigeria."When you see all the warring leaders come together, it means the problems in Liberia are over, the problem of war is over," former rebel leader Prince Yormi Johnson told Reuters in the northern town of Ganta.Johnson, who became notorious in 1990 when he drank beer while his men cut off the ears of President Samuel Doe and then tortured him while video cameras rolled, was elected a senator in last month's parliamentary polls.He and other well-known rebel leaders are supporting Weah, who they say is the only person with the broad-based support required to unify Liberia."I have learned there are plans by (Johnson-Sirleaf's) United Party to indict former soldiers and warlords. I do not think that would be good for the peace process," he said, flanked by two bodyguards.Copyright 2005 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.