7 parties reject NEC magistrate

Seven opposition political parties in Maryland County, southeast Liberia have issued a joint press statement, calling for relocation of the National Elections Commission Magistrate in the county, Madam Honoria Saylee and her assistant, Mr. Thomas Wilson.

The protesting parties include the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), All Liberian Party (ALP), Movement for Economic Empowerment (MOVEE), United People’s Party (UPP), True Whig Party (TWP), Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR), and the People’s Unification Party (PUP).

In a letter addressed to NEC chairman, Cllr. Jerome Kokorya, copy of which is in the possession of the New Dawn Maryland correspondent, the parties claim that Magistrate Saylee and her deputy during the 2011 elections came up with results from electoral district#3 in Karluway and Barrobo, announcing David Saylee as winner against incumbent Isaac Roland Blalu, a result they say was challenged and taken to the Supreme Court of Liberia that ruled that the NEC result released from Maryland was misleading.

The parties also alleged that result from the 2014 special senatorial election in the county was again challenged, and the case was taken to the Supreme Court of Liberia, which upheld the sitting Senator J. Blebo Brown as winner with a new center called “Maryland Center” that did not exist in the county.

They are asking Chairman Kokorya to relocate the two local officials of NEC, Madam Saylee and Mr. Thomas Wilson. Addressing a press conference on Monday, 31 July the chairman of the local office of the Coalition for Democratic Change, George A. Prowd, who affixed his signature to the document, contends that the opposition parties are apprehensive that with the counts mentioned against the NEC magistrate, if the two officials remained in Maryland County for the October elections, the same scenario might repeat itself, which could spark tension.

When contacted, Assistant Magistrate Thomas Wilson, says the issues raised by the group were heard by the Supreme Court, which is the highest court in the country, so he could not respond to such allegation thus, dismissing it as a waste of his time.

By George K. Momo/ Maryland-Editing by Jonathan Browne