No discrepancy

The National Elections Commission (NEC) board of commissioners has announced that since the commencement of the voting exercise, there has been no discrepancy reported to the commission so far.

“There is no sign of discrepancy so far. We appreciate the attend out throughout the country. We are told Liberians in their numbers gathered at various polling places and urged Liberians to be patient in order for them to exercise their constitutional responsibility as enshrined in the Liberian constitution,” NEC Chair Cllr. Jerome George Korkoya said Tuesday afternoon, 10 October.

While voting was ongoing across the country, Chairman Korkoya told a news conference in the afternoon of Tuesday at NEC headquarters that voting process was on course with high attendance.

According to him, some of the polling centers did not start on time as anticipated due to some challenges that the commission could not control.

When quizzed about protest in Gbartala, Bong County, Chairman Korkoya said in apparent shock that his commission had not received any information as it relates to the unfolding.

There were claims of protest in Gbartala on the basis that some voters’ names did not appear on the final voter roll. Some people believed to be voters reportedly blocked the main highway connecting Monrovia, Kakata, Gbarnga and Ganta cities, over claims that their names were not found on final voter roll.

The protesters stormed the polling centers but they were prevented by state securities assigned at the center. Chairman Korkoya maintains that the commission is closely working with officers of the Liberia National Police and other security agencies here to ensure that law and order are respected during these electioneering periods.

Commenting on the issue of the slow process that could deny many people from voting, Korkoya stated that polling places would remain to ensure that those that were in queues before 6 o’clock pm are allowed to vote.

Cllr. Korkoya further stated that those polling centers where voting did not begin on time, voters will be compensated by extension of time.

The Liberian Constitution requires that in each voting year, voting for the President, Vice–President, members of the Senate and members of the House of Representatives shall be conducted throughout the Republic on the second Tuesday in October.

There are 2,183,629 voters in this year’s elections contested by 20 presidential candidates and 1,008 representative candidates for 73 seats at the House of representatives.

By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor–Edited by Winston W. Parley