-Women group
The Coalition of Liberian Women Organization says the use of country devil against Gbarpolu County senatorial candidate Botoe Kanneh in an election is very wrong. Addressing a news conference Thursday in Monrovia, Madam Yvete Chesson Wureh said, traditionally, women are not to see a devil.
She said there are specific traditional practices for which a devilshould come outside, but to come outside just to prevent afemale candidate from getting elected is wrong.
Members of the Coalition include Madam Mandela Cooper and Cyvette Gibson, amongst others. She noted that cultural and physical attacks on women in politics should come to an end, calling on the National Elections Commission to protect all candidates especially, women candidate.
She disclosed the Coalition has met with Justice Minister Frank Musa Dean and the Minister of Internal Affairs on the incident in Gbarpolu and an investigation has been launched along with the council of traditional leaders to bring those involved to book.
According to her, local authorities in the county brought out the male devil to intimidate Madam Botoe and her supporters, knowing that traditionally, women are prohibited from seeing the male devil.
“Since when our culturalpractices have been used during elections, we now have the countrydevil coming out at the request of individual who are looking for political gain and using the devil to intimidate and disenfranchise women voters”, she lamented.
Madam Wureh called on President George Weah to demonstrate political will and protect women against all forms of violence, including electoralviolence. She said President Weah should provideadequate resources to the Ministry of Justice to enforce the law byinvestigating and prosecuting those involved in electoralviolence.
[bsa_pro_ad_space id=1]
She urged the Ministry of Justice to arrest and prosecute all perpetrators of violence during the just-ended senatorial election, saying that the armed forces should be called in to help the security situation.
By Ethel A. Tweh
