The Board of Commissioners of the National Elections Commission (NEC) has ordered yet another recount in the disputed December 8, 2020 Senatorial election, this time in 104 polling places across the County.
But lawyers representing presumed winner WellingtoGeevon Smith led by Atty. Francis Kabain accepting the latest NEC ruling announced an appeal to the Supreme Court of Liberia.
This is the second recount in the disputed election since NEC last declared Mr. Geevon-Smith the winner. The NEC Board of Commissioners said in its ruling Friday, 29 January 2021, that it holds that a recount in the remaining 104 polling places in Rivercess County is necessary to remove the uncertainty.
In the NEC Board of Commissioners ruling read by Commission Boakai A. Dukuly, the board said in addition to the partial recount having confirmed the witness Fanciah’stestimony that he declared valid votes for invalid votes due to pressure, the BOC notes that the recount of 7 polling places out of 111 confirms that an appreciate number valid votes were counted as invalid votes on 8 December 2020 in the Special Senatorial Elections.
Commissioner Dukulysaid “because it is essential to our democracy that ballot must be accurately counted, and when necessarily recounted”, this BOC believes that inorder to assure Rivercess voters that their votes were counted for their respective candidates on 8 December 2020, recounts in the 104 polling places were ordered.
The Board of NEC took the decision Friday following the action of ruling into the bill of Information filed by Independent Candidate Steve Tequah against NEC and Independent Candidate Geevon-Smith.
The case grew out of the action Steve Tequah of Rivercess County, as Informant Verses National Elections Commission, as first Respondent and Wellington Geevon Smith as Second Respondent.
Commissioners Dukuly said its decision comes from the recount in 7 polling places in Rivercess County shows a significant change in the recount and votes tallied in Cestos City, Rivercesscounty.
Meanwhile, ruling in the case, CPP through its Secretary General Atty. Aloysius Toe, Appellant verses the National Elections Commission, as First Appellee and CDC by and through SaahFonko, as Second Appellee in the Representative By-election in Montserrado County district number Nine has been reserved pending assignment.
The Chairperson of the National Commission Davidetta Browne Lansanah said on today Friday that after hearing arguments, ruling is reserved and that notice will be served and the case therefore is suspended.
The First respondent NEC was represented as by the previous records by Atty. CaphusTeewia, while the Second Respondent was represented by Cllr. Peter Howard in the action case of elections Irregularities.
