04 October 2017

LIBERIA MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

"We Will Not Announce Elections Result" – CDC Campaign Spokesman Clarifies, Source: FrontPage Africa

The Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) campaign spokesman, Prof. Ansu Sonii has denounced earlier pronouncement by some party stalwarts that the CDC has mechanisms in place to announce election results, even before it is announced by the National Elections Commission (NEC).

Prof. Sonii said the CDC will refrain from doing such. Speaking on Capitol FM in Monrovia, the CDC campaign spokesman acknowledged that it is only the NEC that has the authority to announce the election results. "God forbid, we will not announce elections results officially, but what we will do is to announce various results at polling and voter centers. We will do that to update our people in the various constituencies," he said.

Recently, CDC chairman, Nathaniel McGill said the party will not wait for the NEC to announce official results of the polls, instead, it will create a war room at its national headquarters in Monrovia, where its poll workers around the country will send results via modern technology from polling centers for subsequent posting to various media outlets. McGill explained that the rationale behind pronouncing results ahead of NEC is to deny anyone that may have any intention of cheating the CDC.

‘UP Suppressing Opposition Campaign Efforts’ -ANC Protests to NEC, International Observers and Missions, Sources: Daily OBSERVER, FrontPage Africa, and The NEWS

The Alternative National Congress (ANC) has officially lodged a complaint to the National Elections Commission (NEC) and all international observers and missions, accusing the ruling Unity Party (UP) of “suppressing opposition political parties of freely campaigning for the October 10 elections.”

The ANC also accused the UP of “exerting undue influence on the electoral process to deny other parties the right to freely associate and to get their messages out.”

ANC vice presidential candidate Jeremiah Sulunteh and party chairman Orishall Gould, in their complaint, accused the UP-led government of denying opposition political parties the right to use public facilities across the 15 counties.  Sulunteh and Gould told newsmen Tuesday that a month ago, its presidential candidate Alexander Cummings, in accordance with NEC regulations, decided to hold its closing campaign rally at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium on Saturday, October 7. But the ANC said the UP has unfortunately announced a rally slated for the same day but according to NEC electoral rules, it is prohibited for two parties to hold rallies in the same town on the same day.

ECOWAS, NEC Conduct Civic Education, Voters Awareness, Source: Daily OBSERVER

ECOWAS national office in Liberia, in collaboration with the National Elections Commission (NEC), has commenced a week-long civic education and voter awareness in three of Liberia’s 15 counties, namely Nimba, Bong and Margibi, which started Tuesday in Ganta, Nimba County.

According to an ECOWAS press statement, the civic education is part of efforts aimed at ensuring that voters receive specific information in order to enhance an effective voting experience. The civic education will also focus on the rights and responsibilities of voters as citizens to participate in the political process, the importance of elections, the concept of free and fair elections and the importance of not just participating but voting as well.

The statement said the three counties are part of the first phase of the ECOWAS initiative targeting a population of 3,000 participants; while a population of over 600 persons will be targeted to participate in each event in each county.

Phase one will cover Ganta City, Nimba County; Gbarnga City, Bong County; and Kakata City, Margibi County, while the second phase will focus on Paynesville City, Montserrado County and Tubmanburg City, Bomi County.

Sable Mining Case ‘Suspended’ for Elections, Source: Daily OBSERVER

The Supreme Court Tuesday did not give any assurance that it will mandate Criminal Court ‘C’  to resume jurisdiction over the Sable Mining alleged USD950,000 bribery case involving several past and present public officials including former House Speaker Alex Tyler.

The court, meanwhile, informed both the defense and prosecution that its present focus is on cases that may arise from election-related irregularities during the conduct of the October 10 presidential and legislative elections, instead of criminal cases such as the Sable Mining case.

“We are going to concentrate on cases that would come from the ongoing electoral process for now, but not criminal matters,” the high court said Tuesday.

Yesterday’s argument into the Sable Mining case resulted from a petition for a Writ of Certiorari filed against then Criminal Court ‘C’ Judge Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay’s stance not to accept prosecution’s request to have the controversial emails and spreadsheets marked permanently to be included in their pieces of oral and documentary evidence.

Jungle Jabbah Trial: U.S. Prosecutor Calls Jabbateh Crimes “Unimaginable”, Source: FrontPage Africa

In day two of the trial of former ULIMO rebel commander Mohammed Jabbateh, also known as “Jungle Jabbah” on charges of immigration fraud, United States government prosecutors presented their case against Jabbateh. They also brought the first of 20 witnesses who will testify against the former rebel commander.

The lead government prosecutor, Assistant US Attorney Nelson Thayer, charged that defendant Jabbateh, 50, knowingly lied in immigration asylum interviews numerous times. Thayer said Jabbateh told immigration officials that he was a member of Liberia’s Special Security Service (SSS) and not a member of a rebel faction. Thayer claimed Jabbateh repeated the lies in a six-page written statement when he applied for temporary protected status, asylum and later for a green card in 1998 and 2001.

"Evidence will show that Mr. Jabbateh was never a member of the SSS. Evidence will show that he was a rebel fight and commander, and not as an SSS officer as he claimed in his asylum papers," charged the prosecutor. Thayer said Mr. Jabbateh repeated his false claims of being a victim of the civil war "and not a word of being a ULIMO commander or even a fighter."

In his opening address, Jabbateh's lawyer Gregory Pagano denied his client lied in his immigration documents. "He told the government who he was. He provided the government with his most recent ID and newspaper articles about who he was." According to Pagano, Jabbateh was a victim of Charles Taylor's National Patriotic Front of Liberia brutality against ethnic Mandingos. He said Jabbateh was detained for three months by Taylor's men without food or medical care until ECOMOG soldiers released him.

The trial continues on Wednesday with more witnesses.

Ministry of Internal Affairs Dismisses Local Chief for Supporting Opposition Parties, Source: FrontPage Africa

FrontPage Africa (FPA) says it has gathered that the Internal Affairs Ministry has dismissed some local chiefs for allegedly supporting opposition political parties. Over 20 town and clan chiefs in Maryland County have been threatened with dismissal, should they get involved with any political activities of the opposition parties, according to FPA source.

The paper says it has obtained the dismissal letter of the acting chairman of the Council of Chiefs in Maryland County, Nelson Neal, who was sacked for the “unauthorized visit of 38 Chiefs and Elders from Nimba County in north-eastern Liberia and other parts of the southeast in Maryland County, which contravened the policies of this Government…”

A local chief who spoke through an interpreter by phone told FPA, “The big UP people in the County sent a message to us saying they will fire us if we don’t vote for Boakai. But we don’t want Boakai anymore because they fooled us a long time.”

Gov’t to Make Payments of Recurring Expenditure For Line Items in Liberian Dollars, Source: FrontPage Africa

The Finance Ministry in a circular to all Ministries and Agencies dated 25 August 2017 has instructed payments of recurring expenditure for most expenditure line items to be made in Liberian dollars (LRD). According to the circular, 100% LRD payments are being made for Allowance, Stipend, Honorarium, Bonus, Consultancy(local), Operation, Special Operation, Domestic Travel, Rental, and Intelligence expenditure.

Episcopal Church to Hold Peace Marathon Ahead of Elections, Source: Daily OBSERVER

The St. Stephen Episcopal Church in the Monrovia suburb of Sinkor has organized a grand Peace Marathon to be held on Monday, 9 October, a day before Liberia’s much-anticipated presidential and representative elections. The Peace Marathon to be held in Monrovia is expected to bring together members of the religious community, political leaders, and ordinary citizens under the theme, “Peace Now, and Peace Always.”

The chairman of the Steering Committee, Edwin Zaladua, said the program is intended to emphasize the importance of holding a peaceful election and transition in the country.

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and a number of presidential candidates including Joseph Boakai, George Weah, Charles Brumskine, Alexander Cummings, J. Mills Jones, and Benoni Urey have been invited to participate in the marathon.

MNG Gold ‘Contaminates’ Creek …Several Victimized; EPA Takes Action, Sources: Daily OBSERVER, FrontPage Africa, and The NEWS

Liberia’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has confirmed that uncontrollable amount of slurry containing cyanide from MNG Gold Liberia’s Tailing Storage Facility (TSF) has been discharged in the Sig Creek and surrounding wetlands with several residents victimized in Kokoya, Bong County.

EPA deputy executive director, Urias Goll told a news conference on Monday that uncontrolled amount of slurry containing cyanide from the company’s TSF was discharged in the creek and other nearby wetlands on Wednesday, 27 September when a rupture of a section of the geomembrane layer of the tailing storage dam occurred.

Amb. Ballout Presents Letters …To Secretary General of the State of Qatar, Sources: FrontPage Africa and The NEWS

Liberia’s Ambassador to the State of Qatar, John Ballout has presented his Letters of Credence to the general secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, Ahmed Bin Hassan Al Hammadi. According to a dispatch from the Liberian embassy near Doha, the ceremony took place on Thursday, 28 September at the Qatar Foreign Ministry. Presenting his credentials, Ambassador Ballout expressed gratitude to Dr. Al Hammadi on behalf of the Liberian government and people and assured him of Liberia’s commitment to renew ties and expand cooperation with Qatar.

Robust Mental Health Program Needed in Liberia, Source: Daily OBSERVER

Assistant Health Minister for Prevention Services, Dr. Sampson Arzoaquoi, says considering the 14 years of civil crisis, Liberia must develop a robust mental health program to reduce the number of persons observed with mental disorders.

Minister Arzoaquoi made the assertion on Monday at program commemorating World Mental Health Day, held at the Liberia Chamber of Commerce in Monrovia. He stressed the need to increase awareness and advocacy on mental health and ensuring that the necessary environment is created for all.

Mental health, according to WHO, is a level of psychological well-being, or an absence of mental illness, a psychological state of a person who is functioning at a satisfactory level of emotional and behavioral adjustment.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ON LIBERIA

With Sirleaf, Liberia's glass ceiling cracked but failed to shatter, Sources: AFP and Daily Mail Online

Liberia's female politicians profess near-universal respect for Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as she steps down after 12 years as president -- but many also say the glass ceiling that Africa's first female leader cracked remains firmly in place.

Sirleaf, 78, will not run in October 10's presidential election after a constitutionally mandated two terms.In 2005, she unexpectedly swept the country's first vote after a brutal civil war, and during her time in office the fragile peace has held.

But "Ma Ellen", as she is known at home, is the first to admit her tenure has failed to deliver meaningful representation for women in Liberian political life. "We haven't worked hard enough for parity," she said in a recent CNN interview. "It saddens me because I represented breaking the glass ceiling in Africa."

Liberian Ex-President calls for citizen participation in Governance, Sources: Business Ghana and GNA

Professor Amos Sawyer, former President of Liberia, on Monday called for greater citizen participation in the governance process in Africa. He said citizen’s participation in the governance process could exact accountability, ensure transparency and encourage greater inclusion.

Prof. Sawyer made the call in a speech read on his behalf, in Accra, at a two-day United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) High-Level Policy Dialogue on the future of Governance in Africa. The dialogue was on the general theme: “The imperative for imaginational new future for Governance in Africa: challenges and opportunities thoughts towards transformational Governance”.

Prof. Sawyer said there was the need to elevate the place of citizenship in the discourse and action about governance and development, recognizing that only knowledgeable, efficacious citizens could sustain democratic governance and create development.

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