09 November 2017

LIBERIA MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

Liberia election was designed to be rigged: Joseph Boakai, Source: New DEMOCRAT

Liberia's Vice President has quietly occupied the executive backseat for 12 years, but in light of electoral fraud he believes snatched away his chance at the presidency, Joseph Boakai is unleashing himself. Known as Sleepy Joe for his propensity to fall asleep at public events, the second-in-command to Africa's first elected female leader Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, is suddenly wide awake and unafraid to speak out.

"There are a lot of irregularities, we believe, most of them really calculated to make this election go the way it went," charges Boakai, sporting a trilby hat in an interview at his home in a suburb of the capital, Monrovia, on Monday. The election, he says, was "designed to be rigged".

Boakai took 28.8 percent of votes in an October 10 presidential election, behind former international footballer George Weah's 38.4 percent, meaning the two men would enter a runoff round. Read more

‘NEC receives no recusal notice’ …Korkoya speaks, Source: INSIGHT

The chairman of the National Elections Commission (NEC), Cllr. Jerome Korkoya says the Commission has not received a formal communication from the opposition Liberty Party (LP) regarding its quest for him and other commissioners to recuse themselves in the investigation of the LP’s claims of electoral irregularities and frauds. Cllr. Korkoya told a news confab Wednesday that if such request reaches the NEC Board of Commissioners, it is prepared to deal with it.  

NEC ‘Concealing’ Crucial Electoral Fraud Evidence … UP Claims, Source: New DEMOCRAT

The ruling Unity Party (UP) has accused the National Election Commission (NEC) of concealing crucial documentary evidence that could prove the party’s case of electoral fraud in the 10 October 2017 polls, this paper reports.

The accusation comes after the NEC announced openly to its hearing officer that it cannot give to the governing party crucial documentary evidence that could prove the party’s case of electoral fraud because the request is not practical, irrelevant, and unable to prove the allegation. “So your honor, we are just asking the NEC to make available to us a public document that we are entitled to see but they are hiding it from us. They don’t have any right under the law to hide from us a public document that could prove our case against them,” UP lawyer, Cllr. Varney Sherman said during the hearing.

Those documents in question that the UP is requesting thru a subpoena include copies of presiding officers worksheets generated at each polling station nationwide, report of investigation conducted by the NEC presiding officer arrested in electoral district #3, Nimba County who was arrested with pre-marked ballot papers, report of the investigation conducted by the police on staff of the office of the President, who was arrested with voter registration card printing machine and other electoral materials at his New Georgia home.

The UP also wants a copy of the final voter registration roll, addendum to voters roll made at all the polling centers nationwide which recorded the names of voters who appeared with voter registration cards and their names were not on the voter registration roll but were allowed to vote.

Meanwhile, the NEC hearing officer in his judgment denied almost the entire UP subpoena. He said most of the request made by the ruling party was of criminal nature that is currently before the court for adjudication; this he has no jurisdiction over it.  But the UP announced an appeal to the NEC Board of Commissioners to express exception to the hearing officer’s ruling.

CDC foresees unnecessary crisis if…, Source: The INQUIRER

The official spokesperson of the main opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), D. Ansu Sonii has predicted what he calls, an unnecessary crisis if the runoff election is not held to allow a peaceful transfer of power. At a press conference Wednesday, Mr. Sonii said the situation could draw the country into crisis saying, the runoff was a key to averting a constitutional crisis.

Whapoe, businessmen join LP’ legal fight, Source: The INQUIRER

The political leader of the Vision for Liberia Transformation (VOLT), Dr. Jeremiah Whapoe and a businessman, Marcus Marwolo have joined in to support Liberty Party (LP) lawsuit against the National Elections Commission (NEC) claiming irregularities in the first round of the elections in October. They made the declaration Wednesday in Monrovia at a gathering of LP officials. Dr. Whapoe and Mr. Marwolo told the gathering that supporting the LP was in fulfillment of the Farmington Declaration signed by presidential candidates committing themselves to maintain the peace.

Brumskine gets commendation for lawsuit receive donation as he battles legal course against NEC, Source: The ANALYST

The opposition Liberty Party (LP) Wednesday received a donation from Marcus Mayango Marwolo, a petty trader to support the legal battle of the party. “I did not vote for the Liberty Party but my family and I are moved by the steps taken by the LP political leader, Mr. Charles Brumskine to seek redress through the legal system,” Marwolo said when he presented the cash donation to the party.

‘We’ll reject” – Weah says of extra-constitutional arrangement, Source: The ANALYST

The main opposition party, Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) says it will not allow any extra-constitutional arrangement in the country when the party leader, Senator George Weah addressed hundreds of partisans at its headquarters in Monrovia Wednesday. “Never again will Liberians hold arms and we urge all our partisans to remain peaceful, law-abiding, and united.” Senator Weah has meanwhile dismissed reports that the country might sink into conflict if the election dispute is not peacefully settled.

False claim – NEC dismisses UP’s fraud allegation, Source: The ANALYST

The National Elections Commission (NEC) hearing officers probing the ruling Unity Party’s (UP) claim of pre-marked ballot papers has trashed the claim but the party has appealed to the NEC Board of Commissioners. The hearing is expected today, Thursday according to report. The governing party and the opposition Liberty Party (LP) have alleged vote rigging, irregularities, and fraud in the October 10 presidential and legislative elections.

General Butt Naked And Other Former Warlords Roam Free In Liberia. Will A New President Prosecute Them?, Source: New DEMOCRAT

Joshua Milton Blahyi remembers the day he met Jesus. It was July 1996, and he was naked. The notorious Liberian warlord, then known as General Butt Naked, was about to lead a band of 18 child fighters—the oldest of whom was 15—into battle against the rebel forces of former President Charles Taylor.

As was his custom before going to war, Blahyi, now 46, had slaughtered a child in a ritualistic sacrifice supposed to bring protection and fortune in battle. (He is reluctant to give specific details but admits that his victims were usually young girls aged between three and 12 years old and that he and his fighters would usually consume parts of the victim’s body.) He had sent his boys down to the river to fetch water for him to wash the blood from his hands.

That’s when Blahyi says he had an apparition. “I had a vision where Jesus met me and told me to repent and live or refuse and die—with the bloodstains of the child still in my hands,” Blahyi tells Newsweek. Read more

NAYMOTE Calls on Liberian to Respect Rule of Law, Source: FrontPage Africa

A pro-democracy group, the National Youth Movement for Transparent Elections (NAYMOTE) has extended appreciation to Liberian voters who turned out to vote on 10 October, this paper reports. The peaceful participation, according to NAYMOTE, signifies Liberians’ quest to consolidate democracy and enhance participatory governance since 1847 and usher in its first democratic transition since 1944.

In a press statement issued on Wednesday, NAYMOTE noted it is judiciously following the ongoing legal encounter between the National Elections Commission (NEC) and the opposition Liberty Party (LP) as well as the recent ruling of the Supreme Court, which placed a stay order on the runoff election until the NEC addresses the grievances or complaints of the LP. NAYMOTE calls on all Liberians to remain calm, uphold and respect the rule of law, and observe the ongoing hearing by the NEC on the LP’s complaint.

Police IG Coleman Warns ‘Unauthorized Gun Carriers’, Source: Daily OBSERVER

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Gregory Coleman, has warned non-state actors particularly the licensed ‘gun carriers’ to desist from making themselves security personnel in the public domain when in fact they are not. IGP Coleman, who chairs the National Elections Security Task Force, said described the action as ‘counterproductive to the peace and stability of the country.’

Coleman who gave the warning at the headquarters of the Liberia National Police (LNP) when a group of civil society actors honored him as a ‘Father of Modern Policing,’ underlined that making one a self-styled security officer in the public space is ‘absolutely not the function of non-state actors, but an issue that borders on national security personnel.’ Read more

Liberian Police Officers Complain of Lack of Food, Stipend despite Working 24/7, Source: FrontPage Africa

According to FrontPage Africa, some police officers of the Police Support Unit (PSU) who were deployed at various setup security points in and around Monrovia are complaining of not being paid the USD5.00 day promised while feeding them delays at some time in point.

Some officers told FrontPage Africa that they were promised USD5.00 per day but they are yet to receive that money for a couple of weeks now. “They promised to give us USD5 a day but that money is not coming. They’re supposed to bring us food, but whenever the vehicle breaks down, the food doesn’t come. For us PSU officers, we have no break; we work 24/7,” one PSU officer said. The officer recalled an incident last week when one PSU officer fell unconscious at the ELWA intersection in Paynesville while on duty. 

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Gregory Coleman in a recent interview with FrontPage Africa, said UNDP gave them USD1.14 million and later received another USD200,000 donated by Germany for electioneering security. But the officers who spoke to this paper on condition of anonymity said monies being paid through the banks are their pay for the election service but their stipends, which are not forthcoming, are supposed to be paid in cash to them. 

ECOWAS Conducts Voter Awareness, Source: Daily OBSERVER

The ECOWAS National Office at the Finance Ministry in Monrovia has ended one-day Civic and Voters Education (CVE) awareness in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County. The training, which brought together students, commercial motorists, and civil society actors, was intended to provide more awareness for citizens, poll watchers, and queue controllers that will be presiding at the polling centers.

The training was held in partnership with the National Elections Commission (NEC), Mano River Union (MRU), Peace Building Office, (PBO) and the Office of the Sustainable Development Goals.

A statement issued Wednesday by the ECOWAS National Office said the exercise was intended to also buttress the efforts of the NEC and to effectively execute the CVE operations and provide voters adequate information needed for an effective and a smooth runoff election. Read more

Ebola Fund Scandal – Liberian Government Vows to Bring Culprits Justice, Source: FrontPage Africa

The Liberian government has expressed serious concern over reports of 2.7 million Swiss Francs scandals at the Liberia National Red Cross Society (LNRCS) during the Ebola crisis that plagued the country in 2014, vowing to bring the culprits to justice, this paper reports.

The government said report emanating from the Red Cross that 2.7 million Swiss Francs lost to fraud during the epidemic in Liberia is of grave concern and reflects the country’s image. A communication issued by the Information Ministry Wednesday noted that the report found evidence of fraud related to inflated prices of relief items, payroll, and payment of volunteers’ incentives. 

Okorocha to unveil Johnson Sirleaf’s statue today, Source: The ANALYST

A statue of Liberia President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is to be unveiled today, Thursday by the Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has disclosed. The statue and two others, including that of South Africa President Jacob Zuma are occupying a pride of place at Freedom Square on Wetheral Road in the Imo Capital. Governor Okorocha displayed President Sirleaf’s statue on his Twitter handle: @GovernorRochas, saying the Liberian leader would be honored during her visit to Imo. But critics accused the governor of spending huge money on meaningless projects in a state that has not been able to pay workers.

Several persons face armed robbery charge, Source: The New Dawn

Several persons have been charged with armed robbery and other related criminal offenses and sent to court, following an alleged armed robbery operation on the A.B. Tolbert Road in Paynesville late October. A police charge sheet named Mark Forkpa, Isaac Baphily (alias Essa), Washington, Archie Sackor, Bill Nicole, and Constance Jallah as suspects in the alleged armed robbery incident.  Read more

UNMIL supports environmental campaign in Bentol City, Source: INSIGHT

On Tuesday, the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) through the Quick Impact Project (QIP) funded a hygiene sensitization movement for prone communities. The project executed by the Universal Empowerment Missions will entail capacity building to four communities of Bensonville in sanitation and hygiene aspects.

UNMIL’s director of mission support, David Penklis highlighted the importance of educating one another to improve the community and the environment for everyone. “UNMIL is working with you as a partnership, not a sponsorship, we are working together,” said Mr. Penklis.  

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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