Red flag hangs over 2017

Bong County Representative George Mulbah has uprightly criticized the Board of Commissioners and entire workforce of the National Elections Commission or NEC, describing the recent opinion of the Supreme Court of Liberia as a channel that exposes the weakness of the commission.

Recently, the Supreme Court, in a ruling, mandated the NEC to resume jurisdiction over the case and give effect to the court’s judgment by conducting a re-run of the election by registered voters in three of the 24 polling precincts in District # 7 of Bong County within 60 days.

But Rep. Mulbah described the action by NEC to cheat in the areas mentioned during the December 20 Special Senatorial Election as clear indications that Board of Commissioners of NEC cannot handle the 2017 Presidential and Legislative Elections, warning that any attempt to keep the current team of workforce at the commission is a recipe for chaos and battles.

Speaking to Legislative reporters in the Joint Chambers of the Liberian Legislature Thursday, 13 August the Bong County Lawmaker indicated that action warrant that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf reconstitutes the Board of Commissioners of the commission., noting that failure of the President to reconstitute the commission’s board would plunge the country into serious election violence as as was the case of Kenya and Ivory Coast a few years ago.

“The action of NEC squarely tells us that the coming elections in 2017 will not be handled properly, and that it could lead us to serious election violence like it was in Kenya and our next door neighbor, Ivory Coast a few years back. Their action is condemnable and shameful. I think the people of NEC do not want the people of Bong County to be in peace because tempering with elections’ results is a grave crime, which, I think, should not go unpunished,” Rep. Mulbah said.

At the same time, he has appealed to Henrique Dr. Tokpa to let go the re-run process ordered by the Supreme Court of Liberia, and institute legal action against the NEC for alleged damages. He urged Dr. Tokpa to demand salaries, allowances and benefits accorded to a sitting Liberian senator for nine years.

According to him, the re-run between the National Patriotic Party candidate, Sen. Jewel Howard Taylor and Dr. Tokpa would further divide the county and create more bitterness between the two individuals.