ALP demands election re-run

Another opposition party here the All Liberian Party (ALP) joins the Liberty Party of Cllr, Charles Walker Brumskine in demanding a re-run of the 10 October Presidential and Representatives elections.

In a strongly worded press release dated 16 October signed by National Secretary General Rev. David G.B. Kiamu and approved by National Chairman J. S. B. Theodore Momo, Jr. the ALP says all of its poll observers and observers from other political parties have recorded their dissatisfaction over the restriction of observers six feet or more away from the counting process, where they could not authenticate the announced winning candidate by the counting officer, while in some instances, the lack of adequate light to permit an independent determination of the ballots.

“In furtherance, it is imperative that this matter reaches all relevant authorities. We believe that we must stop at no length that the sacred rights of Liberians, as enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Liberia, will remain inviolate, even if necessary, the temporary suspension of the Constitution”, the release reads.

The document cites Saclepea, Nimba County, where it claims that officials of the NEC, were caught stuffing pre-marked ballot papers, allegedly in favor of a pre-determined presidential candidate; which resulted in the arrest of said staff by the Liberia National Police (LNP) and thereafter, under investigation, confessed to said crime.

It continues that at another venue in Montserrado County District #6, the counting process was conducted unprofessionally by constant repetition of ballot papers being announced as “the same”, in violation of transparency heightened concerns of voters, which went unattended as evidence by video in the possession of the party.

The ALP also claims that at many polling centers, ballot boxes were brought in late, which precipitated in the lateness of the polling process, in some instances by five hours, and caused the elderly, breast-feeding mothers and thousands of other registered voters to depart the site thereby, denying them the privilege of exercising their franchise and Constitutional rights.

It says a salient violation of the Elections Laws resulted when polling stations did not open at the stipulated time, but insisted that extended time should not be accorded those who were already in the roll, which constitute a gross violation of their Constitutional right, while at the same time, countless voters were dismissed at precincts on the basis that their names and photos could not found on the voters’ roll, thereby violating their rights.
The party quoting NEC stipulation, notes that each polling center should have 500 registered voters, but during the tallying exercises more than that number was discovered, and that international observer missions also observed NEC agents were poorly recruited and trained which demonstrated serious incompetence thus, resulting to glare failure to perform their sacred duty.

The release says based on alleged discrepancies and other violations outlined, the ALP is strongly convinced that the lowest vote count in counties where the party enjoyed popular support, were at the instance of the irregularities carried out by the National election Commission or its agents.

Some observers of the ALP and the ruling Unity Party assigned at the C.D.B. King polling center on Camp Johnson Road threatened to go to court on allegation that they were prevented from entering the center by officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) during the votes counting process.

By Emmanuel Mondaye-Editing by Jonathan Browne