UP, LP appeal to Supreme Court

Ruling Unity Party (UP) and opposition Liberty Party (LP) says they will take appeal to the Supreme Court of Liberia, after losing an alleged elections fraud and irregularities case heard at the level of the National Elections Commission (NEC). The parties are seeking a rerun of the 10 October presidential and representatives’ elections over claims of fraud and irregularities.

20 presidential candidates contested the polls, but UP’s Vice President Joseph Nyumah Boakai and opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) candidate Sen. George Manneh Weah are designated for a runoff as the two leading candidates.

The NEC had earlier denied the UP and LP’s request for Cllr. Jerome George Korkoya to recuse himself from the hearing of their appeal before the Board of Commissioners, accusing the head of the electoral house of prejudging the case before presiding.

On Monday, November 20, the NEC Hearing Officer ruled that the pieces of evidences and witnesses produced by both parties in their joint claim of fraud and irregularities were not sufficient to grant a rerun of the 10 October presidential and representatives’ elections.

LP leader Cllr. Charles Brumskine came third in the presidential election with 9.6 percent of the total votes cast, far below UP’s Boakai with 28.8 percent and CDC’s Weah with 38.4 percent of the votes.

While the NEC was investigating the case, the Supreme Court placed a prohibition on runoff, pending full investigation of the matter.

It is yet not clear as to whether the parties have submitted their formal complaint to the Supreme Court following the latest decision of the NEC.

Meanwhile, UP lead lawyer Cllr. Varney Sherman is seeking medical attention. Cllr. Sherman underwent a major surgery in the United States prior to the conduct of the elections.

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