12 October 2017

 

LIBERIA MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

NEC Begins Announcing Provisional Results Today -‘No Result is Official Except from NEC,’ Says Korkoya, Sources: Daily OBSERVER and The NEWS

The chairman of the National Elections Commission (NEC), Cllr. Jerome Korkoya has called on the general public to accept only elections results from the NEC. In his first post-election day address Wednesday, Cllr. Korkoya said the NEC will today Thursday begin announcing official preliminary results of the October 10 elections.

“Let me once again admonish everyone that the announcement of official results of the elections is within the power of the NEC. It is the only constituted authority legally allowed to make pronouncements of national elections results,” he said.

Korkoya added that celebrations coming from candidates and their supporters in the name of taking leads should not in any way cause problems for others as no results are yet official unless the NEC makes the announcement.

LP Alarms Fraud in October 10 Polls; Threatens Lawsuit on NEC, Source: FrontPage Africa

FrontPage Africa reports that the fate of the just ended elections is hanging in the balance; flaws, irregularities, and suspected fraud have given reasons for political parties to protest the results.

The Liberty Party (LP) has already announced its readiness to lead the campaign in this regard, disclosing that it is compiling an investigative evidence-back report of the discovery of fraud and irregularities observed during the election. The party’s chairman, Benjamin Sanvee, said the party has called on the National Elections Commission (NEC) not to announce any results from the elections until the LP has presented its findings to the NEC.

The NEC has announced that it will release the first preliminary results today Thursday at its headquarters in the Monrovia suburb of Sinkor. But the LP says should NEC announces the results, it will take legal action against the electoral body.

“There is absolutely no excuse for hindering Liberians from exercising their democratic rights. We call on all LP partisans and all Liberians to remain calm and peaceful as we work to resolve these issues,” Mr. Sanvee said.

NEC Quarantines Voting Materials at Precinct in Nimba; Poised to Reschedule Voting There, Source: FrontPage Africa

The National Election Commission (NEC) says it has quarantined voting materials from Precinct No. 33019, containing four polling stations in Nimba County Electoral District #4. Voting for that polling center has been rescheduled for a later date.

According to NEC chairman Cllr. Jerome Korkoya, the decision was taken following a disruption of the voting process at the precinct, allegedly incited by a local politician, Rufus Zerlee, a candidate for the House of Representatives on the ticket of the Coalition for Liberia Progress (CLP).

“The voting was compromised in the precinct according to the Information we have received. The National Elections Commission has launched an inquiry and made a decision to quarantine the materials from the Precinct,” Cllr. Korkoya said.

Political Parties Asked to Desist From Early Celebration, Source: FrontPage Africa

The Liberia Elections Early Warning and Response Group (LEEWARG) and its partners are cautioning political parties and supporters to remain calm as the results are being announced and avoid speculations.

The group in a statement read by Ambassador Tunde Ajisomo also called on supporters of political parties to avoid early celebration and look up to the National Elections Commission (NEC) for the official results as announcing unofficial results has the potential to ignite unnecessary tensions during this critical period of its nascent democracy.

LEEWARG notes that in spite of some isolated cases such as the late arrival of voting materials and commencement of polls, congested polling centers, poor understanding of some poll workers of the process among others, the voting was generally peaceful.

“Use The Court System Not Violence” ….FIND Urges Political Parties, Independent Candidate, Sources: Daily OBSERVER and The NEWS

The Foundation for International Dignity (FIND) is calling on political parties and independent candidates to take advantage of the court system if they feel dissatisfied with the election results instead of engaging in violence. FIND executive director, Roosevelt Woods, told a news conference in Monrovia Monday that violence has not resolved and will never resolve any dispute and as such, political parties and independent candidates should discourage their supporters from violence.

‘Irregularities’ Mar Voting Process …..In Nimba, Source: The NEWS

The News has gathered that Tuesday’s polls were characterized by some irregularities including the late start of voting and failure of some election workers to show up for work in Nimba County. Although the elections went ahead peacefully with a high turnout across the county, several persons were disenfranchised when election workers turned them away, because their names were not recorded in the voter registry.

The disenfranchised voters were amongst voters who formed long queues during the early morning hours to cast their votes. In separate interviews, the affected voters expressed disappointment and condemned officials of the National Elections Commission (NEC) for omitting their names from the voters’ roll.

Why CDC and UP are Poised for Run-off, Source: Daily OBSERVER

The Daily Observer reports that the possibility of a run-off between presidential candidates, Senator George Weah of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and Vice President Joseph Boakai of the ruling Unity Party (UP), is becoming increasingly likely as unofficial polling results so far confirm traditional geographical strongholds of either party.

The National Elections Commission (NEC) is expected to begin announcing official provisional results today Thursday. However, so far since Tuesday’s elections, unofficial results broadcast on national radio from polling centers in different parts of the country show the two candidates performing exceptionally better than the 18 others who feel they have what it takes to lead the country.

Nasty October for Bong Incumbent Lawmakers - Five Lose Seats, Source: FrontPage Africa

FrontPage Africa reports that it is becoming a nasty October 2017 to remember for incumbent lawmakers in Bong County as they are not doing well at the ballot box. Preliminary results gathered from polling centers across Bong show that five incumbents are losing their seats with others still threading on slippery paths.

Out of the seven incumbent lawmakers that contested for their respective seats, only two survived. They are Prince Moye of the ruling Unity Party (UP) and Edward Karfiah of the People’s Unification Party (PUP).

Government, Partners Institutionalize One Health Approach in Liberia, Sources: FrontPage Africa and The NEWS

Vice President Joseph Boakai as chairman of the One Health Coordinator Platform (OHCP) has endorsed the Declaration of Commitment (DoC) to institutionalize the one health approach in Liberia. The DoC was signed by representatives of line ministries and agencies at the official launch in June 2017.

The OHCP underscores the government commitment to address issues relating to potential threats of re-emerging diseases of public health globally by strengthening multi-sectoral collaborations; while the One Health approach is a proactive, integrated approach that calls for multi-sectoral and interdisciplinary engagement across the human, animal (including wildlife) and environmental health sectors to better predict, prevent, detect and respond to interconnected health threats affecting animal, human and ecosystem domains.

Liberia To Get Oil Factory, Source: The NEWS

Ivorian Ago Giant Industry Corporation, SIFCA is on the verge of entering into a joint venture with GVL to build what will be one of the biggest oil palm factories in the world with a production capacity of 80 metric ton per hour. The Oil Palm factory will cost about USD30 million and will create hundreds of jobs in Liberia’s southeast.

According to an Executive Mansion release, this was disclosed by SIFCA board chairman, Alassane Doumbia, last Friday when he met with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf at her Foreign Ministry office in Monrovia.

Mr. Doumbia thanked President Sirleaf for the cooperation the company received from the Liberian government when it started its investment projects, which led to the acquisition and rehabilitation of the Cavalla Rubber Corporation (CRC) and the Maryland Oil Palm Plantation in Pleebo, Maryland.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ON LIBERIA

Liberia presidential vote poised for run-off, Sources: APA News and Journal du Cameroun

Liberia’s presidential election is heading for a second round run-off vote with the two leading contenders, VP Joseph Boakai of the ruling Unity Party and the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change candidate, George Weah locked in a stalemate as the vote-counting continues into Wednesday. Under Liberian electoral law, a presidential candidate must poll over 50 percent of the overall vote to avoid the exercise reaching a second round, which takes place two weeks after the final results are announced.

Reports monitored from the Liberian Broadcasting System (LBS) strongly suggest that the two leading contenders have opened commanding leads in their respective home regions and polled just enough votes in other parts of the country to force the contest into a second round.

Liberia expects provisional election results Thursday, Sources: AP, Star Tribune, and The Washington Post

Liberia's provisional election results are expected Thursday, the election commission said Wednesday, as the West African nation waits to see who will succeed the Nobel Peace Prize winner who led the country's recovery from Ebola and civil war. A runoff election was widely expected with 20 candidates vying to replace Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's first female president.

The National Election Commission said local vote counting had ended after a largely smooth election. It apologized for delays in some areas and said it had quarantined materials from one precinct and will investigate reports of alleged compromised voting.

Former soccer star George Weah, Vice President Joseph Boakai, former rebel leader Prince Johnson and former Coca-Cola vice president Alexander Cummings were leading in various parts of the country, local media reported.

Results delayed in vote to replace Liberia's Sirleaf, Sources: AFP and Modern Ghana

Liberia's election results were delayed on Wednesday by hitches at a number of polling stations, with Vice President Joseph Boakai and footballer George Weah seen as the frontrunners to succeed Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The National Elections Commission (NEC) is expected to announce the first official results from the presidential and legislative elections on Thursday.

If no candidate wins 50 percent of the presidential vote, a run-off between the top two contenders will be held on November 7, an outcome analysts say is a near certainty. Turnout for Liberia's first democratic transfer of power in seven decades was exceptionally high, the electoral panel has suggested.

Liberia Election Body Says Vote Results Published Starting Thursday, Source: Bloomberg News

Liberia’s election authority said it will release presidential and parliamentary poll results from Thursday as the body continues to validate ballot tallies after Tuesday’s vote. Liberians chose a president to replace Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf from among 20 candidates in a vote that regional observers said were conducted mostly peacefully.

“Voting and counting have ended and result sheets posted at polling places,” National Elections Commission Chairman Jerome Korkoya told reporters Wednesday in the capital, Monrovia. “We are hoping by tomorrow we can start” release provisional results, he said.

One of Liberia's main parties calls for halt to election results, Sources: Euro News and Reuters

One of Liberia’s leading political parties called for a halt in announcing the result of Tuesday’s presidential election, citing irregularities in the vote.

The Liberty Party, whose candidate Charles Brumskine was considered a front-runner to take over from Nobel Peace Prize winner Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said it would consider taking legal action if the National Elections Commission (NEC) did not act on its demands. The NEC was originally expected to release preliminary results on Thursday.

“The Liberty Party is deeply troubled by the discovery of numerous incidents of irregularities and fraud that occurred during the elections,” Liberty Party national chairman Benjamin Sanvee said in a statement. “We are calling on NEC to immediately halt further announcements of election results. If NEC does not cooperate with our request, we will take the appropriate legal action,” he said.

'Liberia is on track to achieving a credible poll' - ECOWAS, AU observer missions, Source: Africa News

Election observation missions from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) have jointly commended Liberia for conducting a smooth voting process devoid of any major incidents. The Chairman of the ECOWAS mission, former Ghanaian president John Dramani Mahama said in a joint press conference on Wednesday that the counting and tallying process was done in a transparent manner.

“Thus far, given the environment before, during the polls and sorting process, Liberia is on track to achieving a credible poll,” he said. Mahama also commended the security forces for curbing pockets of violence during the polls, he read to journalists in Monrovia as part of the mission’s preliminary report.

This was corroborated by the leader of the AU mission, former AU Deputy Chairperson Erastus J. O. Mwencha who said: “thus far, the election can be characterized as peaceful”.

Justice eludes Liberia's civil war victims 14 years on, Source: Aljazeera News

It may have been 14 years ago when Liberia's civil war ended, but the scars have not healed easily. Victims say divisions still run deep as many come face to face with their attackers on the streets. Some say they cannot move on until justice is served.

Liberia trial finds Ebola vaccines yield year-long immune response, Source: CIDRAP News 

A trial at the end of Liberia's Ebola outbreak of two candidate vaccines that were furthest along in development at the time showed both posed no major safety concerns and triggered immune responses that lasted at least a year, researchers from a US-Liberian clinical research partnership reported today.

Liberia was the first of the three hard-hit countries to become free of the disease. But in October 2014, the country's health ministry had asked US health officials for investigational tools to help curb the outbreak, which led to the formation of Partnership for Research on Ebola Virus in Liberia (PREVAIL).

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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