Joseph D. Z. Korto (1949 – June 21, 2020) was a

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...

n politician and member of the

Liberia Equal Rights Party The Liberia Equal Rights Party (LERP) is a political party in Liberia. It fielded candidates in the 11 October 2005 elections. LERP candidate Joseph Korto won 3.3% of the vote in the presidential poll. The party failed to win any seats in the ...

(LERP). Joseph Korto was born in Barpa,

Nimba County Nimba County is a county in northeastern Liberia that shares borders with the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire in the East and the Republic of Guinea in the Northwest. Its capital city is Sanniquellie and its most populous city is Ganta. With the count ...

, Liberia. He was Minister of Education in Liberia from 2006 to 2010 and was replaced by E. Othello Gongar, former Minister of Education during the regime of late president Samuel Kanyon Doe. He was also the

executive director Executive director is commonly the title of the chief executive officer of a non-profit organization, government agency or international organization. The title is widely used in North American and European not-for-profit organizations, though ...

of the Liberian Development Foundation. Running as the LERP (Liberian Equal Rights Party) presidential candidate in the 11 October 2005

elections An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operate ...

, Korto placed seventh out of 22 candidates, receiving 3.3% of the vote nationally and the highest vote total in Nimba County, his home base. After his loss in the first round of voting, he endorsed candidate

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (born Ellen Eugenia Johnson, 29 October 1938) is a Liberian politician who served as the 24th president of Liberia from 2006 to 2018. Sirleaf was the first elected female head of state in Africa. Sirleaf was born in Mon ...

for the second round vote against football star

George Weah George Tawlon Manneh Oppong Ousman Weah (; born 1 October 1966) is a Liberian politician and former professional footballer who is the incumbent president of Liberia, in office since 2018. Prior to his election to the presidency, Weah served a ...

. Johnson-Sirleaf went on to win the election, with Korto's support being viewed as an important factor in her victory, and she appointed Korto to her cabinet as Minister of Education shortly after she took office in January 2006. Korto had a background as a teacher and held a doctorate in education from the

Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by U.S. ...

in Washington DC. Korto died on June 21, 2020, in a

Newark, Delaware Newark ( )Not as in Newark, New Jersey. is a small city in New Castle County, Delaware, New Castle County, Delaware, United States. It is located west-southwest of Wilmington, Delaware, Wilmington. According to the 2010 United States Census, ...

, hospital."Liberia: Dr. Joseph Korto, Presidential Candidate in ’05, Education Minister is Dead"
Front Page Africa, June 23, 2020.

References

Living people People from Nimba County Candidates for President of Liberia Liberia Equal Rights Party politicians Education Ministers of Liberia Catholic University of America alumni 1949 births {{Liberia-politician-stub