09 January 2018

LIBERIA MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

Supreme Court to Hear Nimba County Electoral District # 8 Case Tuesday, Sources: FrontPage Africa and The INQUIRER

This paper reports that the Supreme Court’s full bench is to hear argument on Tuesday, 9 January 2018 into an appeal filed by the aggrieved Nimba County Electoral District #8 Representative candidate Saye Mianeh of the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR). The appeal, which will be heard by the High Court at 2:00 pm today was filed against the ruling of the Board of Commissioners of the National Elections Commission (NEC) after it declared incumbent lawmaker Larry Younquoi as the winner of the 10 October 2017 Representative election of the electoral district.

Battle for Legislature Leadership, Source: New DEMOCRAT

The two most powerful positions within the legislature are up for contest Monday, 15 January at the Capitol Building in Monrovia. Sixty-six of the newly-elected 73 members of the House of Representatives have been certificated and are set to decide who will be the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, and senators will also vote on the same day to elect a new President Pro-tempore.

Liberians In Europe Hail Weah-Jewel Victory, Source: The INQUIRER

The European Federation of Liberia Associations (EFLA) has extended congratulations to President-elect George Weah and Vice President-elect Jewel Howard Taylor of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) on their recent election in Liberia’s 26 December 2017 runoff presidential election. The association in a release described the overwhelming election of Mr. Weah as a manifestation of the trust and confidence Liberians have in his ability to lead Liberia at this critical period in the country’s quest for sustained democracy, stability, reconciliation, rule of law, and peaceful coexistence.

The EFLA wants Mr. Weah to see the mandate given him by the electorate as a glorious opportunity for him and his incoming administration to craft and foster socio-economic policies that would not only unite and reconcile Liberians regardless of their political, religious, and social affiliations but would advance the cause of free speech, national unity, and genuine reconciliation in the country.

Businessman to Invest in Apartment Housing to Boost Economy, Source: Daily OBSERVER

A Liberian business executive who has just returned from the United States has promised to invest in apartment housings that would attract American travelers to Liberia to boost the country’s economy. Rev. Telford Ammons told the Daily Observer that such a viable initiative would considerably boost revenue generation and put the Liberian economy in a stronger position. Rev.  Ammons said an average person that intends to travel to any country needs at least USD4,000; and if 10 persons happen to travel to Liberia at a given time, the Liberian economy would experience some viable boost. He, however, said that as a consultant to a technological institution in the United States, he could use his contacts to bring groups of Americans to Liberia to help in the provision of low-cost electricity in the country. Read more

Fire Renders Over 20 Homeless in Pipeline, Source: Daily OBSERVER

A fire outbreak that affected a three bedroom house over the weekend on Pipeline Road in Paynesville has rendered more than 20 persons homeless. The incident also caused the loss of goods and properties including three computers, a Samsung TV, and an unspecified sum of United States dollars. According to residents, the community receives its power supply from generators provided by private individuals. The fire started about 7:45 p.m. and spread through the house, a resident said. Read more

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ON LIBERIA

UP and PUP Lawmakers to Support Johnson Gwaikolo’s Speakership Ambition, Source: The Bush Chicken

Representative Samuel Kogar of Nimba’s fifth electoral district has indicated that lawmakers from the outgoing ruling Unity Party (UP) and the People’s Unification Party (PUP) intend to join forces to support the bid of Representative-elect Johnson Gwaikolo as speaker of the House of Representatives. Gwaikolo is the newly elected lawmaker of Nimba’s ninth district. According to Kogar, Gwaikolo’s inexperience in the legislature should not disqualify him because he possesses the recipe needed to make a good speaker.

“Gwaikolo has served in government in so many capacities – and also served at the House as secretary to the Ways, Means, and Finance Committee. He has served as deputy minister for Revenue at the Ministry of Finance; deputy minister for foreign affairs and administration; deputy minister for public works at the Ministry of Public Works and currently, he’s serving as the president of the United Methodist University – so, he has the qualifications to serve in that position,” said Representative Kogar. Read more

Rights Group Blames UP-Led Government For Abuses In Liberia Prisons, Source: News Public Trust

Conditions of prisons and detention centers across Liberia are said to be poor, with a number of inmates said to be in poor health and cramped in overcrowded cells, a premier prisoner watchdog group, Prison Fellowship Liberia has said. Rev. Francis Kollie, executive director of the group told News Public Trust on Monday that the outgoing Unity Party-led government has over the years violated the rights of inmates by not giving them the due process of justice, causing over crowdedness. Rev. Kollie claimed that because of the over crowdedness of the prisons, some of the inmates are developing diseases and may likely die. Eighty-five percent of the 3,000 people detained throughout the country are pre-trial detainees, he said. According to the rights group, although the Monrovia Central Prison was constructed for just 300 inmates, it is currently hosting about 1,200 “with most of them detained under appalling conditions.” Read more

Disclaimer
This media summary consists of selected local media articles for the information of UN personnel. The public distribution of this media summary is a courtesy service extended by UNMIL on the understanding that the choice of articles included is exclusive, and the contents do not represent anything other than a selection of articles likely to be of interest to a United Nations readership. The inclusion of articles in this summary does not imply endorsement by UNMIL.

 

 

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