Leaders of four collaborating political parties here are threatening to bemoan and fiercely resist what they term a “clear deliberate attempt” by the National Elections Commission and the Government of Liberia to circumvent the will of the people to choose a representative in Montserrado County Electoral District #15.
Addressing a news conference in Monrovia, Monday, 12 August at the headquarters of the opposition Liberty Party, Mr. Ulysses Barchue, National Vice Chairman for Interparty Affairs of the Alternative National Congress, says they are knowledgeable of the fact that credibility of elections is hunched on a number of actors.
“Key among those factors is a credibility of voter registry. From the facts and circumstances stated herein, it is irrefutable that the election in District #15 falls short of meeting the bare minimum requirement to be deemed credible. That the electoral commission would even quarantine a few voting centers when our candidate was in the lead is telling,” he asserts.
Vice Chairman Barchue says they in the collaborating opposition (the former ruling Unity Party, Liberty Party, Alternative National Congress and the All Liberian Party) want to inform NEC and the government will do everything within their powers to ensure the will of the people of District #15 prevails.
“We do not rule out the possibility of using radical approaches as guaranteed by Article 1 of our constitution. Let the word go forth to those seeking to circumvent the District #15 election result that we are not taking those processes lightly. We hope that NEC does the right thing by allowing the will of the people to prevail and give our candidate Ms. Telia Urey her deserved victory,” he warns.
The NEC had reportedly quarantined results from two polling centers in the district, pending outcome of ongoing investigation of complaints filed by the campaign team of Candidate Telia Urey and another candidate.NEC Chairman Cllr. Jerome George Korkoya insists the Commission would only announced final results of the poll after findings of the probe by its hearing officer.
Vice Chairman Barchue says they take keen note of the ongoing investigation at the electoral house and will follow it to its logical and legal conclusion, stressing that the outcome of said process, which should border on fairness, will largely determine their next course of action.
“Let’s state clearly, that the National Elections Commission particularly Jerome Korkoya and their co-conspirators will be responsible for any retrogression of the gains this country has made over the years. We urge the NEC to expedite the process as is reasonably expected and give Ms. Telia Urey her victory,” Barchue urges.
According to him, the collaborating political parties call for the immediate removal and subsequent investigation of the head of the data processing center at NEC, accusing him of being an agent of instability in the country.
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Barchue notes that from the foregoing constitutional provisions, it is clear that the source of stability in any democracy is the conduct of regular, free, fair and transparent elections, but adds, “Where the will of the people to exercise their fundamental constitutional right without circumvention ceases to exist, anarchy reigns and democracy becomes nugatory.”
The National Elections Commission recently declared opposition Liberty Party (LP’s) candidate Abraham Darius Dillon winner of the July 29 Montserrado County Senatorial by-election, while provisional results put opposition All Liberian Party (ALP) Representative candidate for electoral district #15 Ms Telia Urey ahead of governing Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC’s) Abu Bana Kamara 42.68 percent to 41.48 percent. By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor–Editing by Jonathan Browne
