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Pressure mounts on NEC

Four collaborating opposition political parties here are warning the National Elections Commission to disengage from “unwarranted delay” in releasing full results of the Montserrado County Electoral District #15 by-election.
The parties include the former ruling Unity Party (UP), Liberty Party (LP), Alternative National Congress (ANC) and the All Liberian Party (ALP).
They frown at repeated delays in coming up with final results from the district, something, the opposition bloc notes has the proclivity of undermining the credibility of the elections and could turn out to be a catalyst for political tension the country.

Opposition candidate Telia Urey leads Abu Kamara of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change based on preliminary results announced by the NEC, securing 5,573 votes, representing 42.68 percent against Kamara’s 5,417 votes or 41.48 percent.

NEC Chairman Cllr. Jerome Korkoyah says due to ongoing investigation into allegations of discrepancies by Ms Urey campaign, the commission will announce the remaining twenty polling places upon completion of the investigation.

“For the District No. 15 representative elections, we will announced provisional results from 74 of the 94 polling places representing results from 78.72 percent of the polling places in that district. Consistent with our procedures, results from the remaining 20 polling places which constitutes 21.4 percent of polling places are currently quarantined and would not be announced today, pending the outcome of the investigation into the complaints currently being conducted”, he told a news conference on Friday.

But Liberty Party Chairman Senator Steve Zargo warns, “We are quite knowledgeable of the performance of our candidate Ms. Tellia Urey in the election and will accept nothing less than the will of the majority of the people of District 15 as Democracy dictates.”

Speaking on behalf of the four parties, over the weekend at the LP headquarters, in Congo Town, he notes that the National Elections Commission will be held liable for any political tension that may arise as a result of repeated delays and suspicious handling of the results of the District15 Representative By-election, adding, they will accept nothing more or less than the will of the majority of the people of District 15.

The opposition bloc calls the attention of the religious community, local and international human rights organizations and ECOWAS, the African Union, European Union, the United Nations and the United States government to what they term growing wave of threats and violence being orchestrated by the CDC-led government and party leadership against peaceful citizens.

Sen. Zargo claims about 48 hours prior to the news conference, Monrovia City Mayor and chairman of the youth wing of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change Jefferson Koijee held a press conference and reportedly threatened the peace and immediately after his press conference, opposition supporters, who were celebrating pre- victory on Monday, July 30, came under heavy attacks by stone- throwing CDCians.

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“What was more noteworthy and sad about the CDC’s attack on us, but not surprising is the fact that like the District 13 incident, it took place right before the watchful eyes of officers of the Liberian National Police. That the Police who are clothed with the statutory mandate of indiscriminately providing security for every human being within our borders decided to fire canisters of teargas at us, the victims, while the CDC bandits and hooligans walked scot-free is saddening and reminiscent of the darkest days in the history of our country. Interestingly, these provocations and abuse of the rights of peaceful Liberians has never claimed the attention of the President who claims to be, or at least is supposed to be a peace ambassador,” Senator Zargo notes.

However, he says the opposition is pursuing other legitimate means, including filing an official complaint against the government to the United Nations and other regional and international human rights frameworks that Liberia is a State Party to or it would state a nonstop peaceful protest in keeping with their rights as enshrined in the Constitution of Liberia to demand an end to the ongoing senseless attacks on peaceful citizens by thugs believed to be from the Coalition for Democratic Change. Editing by Jonathan Browne

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