CDC narrowly leads Lower House

The competition between the Coalition of Democratic Change or CDC and the ruling Unity Party or UP for control of the House of Representatives is as competitive as ever with the former narrowly winning 21 of the 73 seats in that august body followed by the latter with 18, the People Unification Party (PUP) five seats followed by the rest among them Independent Candidates, according to final poll results released here by the National Elections Commission on Thursday, 19 October.

The CDC now leads majority seats in the House of Representatives, putting it in a strong position whether as an opposition or a winning party.

Announcing the final results for both the Presidential and Representatives Elections at the headquarters of the National Elections Commission in Monrovia, NEC Chairman Cllr. Jerome Korkoya says Grand Cape County Electoral District#1 and Nimba County Electoral District#8 are excluded due to ongoing investigation of the poll outcomes in these polling places.

Maintaining strong grip in the Lower House is crucial for both the president and the ruling party as it creates the advantage for the passage of laws that would advance the agenda of the government of the day.

A Weah’s presidency could enjoy an easy ride on Capitol Hill, given the outcome so far, while on the other hand, if the governing UP were to obtain a third term at the ballot box on November 7, it would have to set up a strong lobbying team to have its agenda goes thru.

Notwithstanding, the UP would not have to worry, as it maintains collaboration with the PUP, which obtains five seats and is ready to help advance an UP agenda brought on the floor.

-Story by Jonathan Browne