FLY, LINSU alarm over excess ballot papers

The Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY) and the Liberia National Student Union have raised concern on the extraordinary ballot papers printed by the National Elections Commission or NEC.

Addressing a press conference over the weekend in Monrovia, FLY President Augustine S.M. Tamba, said though to attend to unforeseen circumstances NEC should print excess ballot papers, but it is alarming that Liberia, with a total of 2.1 million registered voters would print over 3 million ballots, something, which he says, is scaring.

The youth group is calling on the NEC to provide further clarification on the surplus ballot papers printed. Tamba notes that the extraordinary ballot papers show that the Commission has something hidden, noting that is the reason why they are yet to put out the final Voters’ roll.

He points to the recent violence between the Liberty Party and the Coalition for democratic Change in Nimba County, when the LP Vice Standard Bearer Harrison Karnwea, alleged that some partisans of the CDC were seen with fire arms, saying that news of such is troubling and could disturb the peace during these elections.

Both FLY and LINSU want all political parties and political actors to stay away from violence, stressing a need to conduct their activities in a more mature way that no other party will be affected.

The youth organizations are calling on the United Nations Mission in Liberia, the European Union Monitoring group, the African Union and the ECOWAS elections monitoring group, the U.S. Embassy, Swedish Embassy here, and the National Legislature to take note as these are critical times, giving the millions that have been spent to ensure the polls are conducted peacefully.

By Ethel A. Tweh-Editing by Jonathan Browne