13 November 2017

LIBERIA MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

Political Impasse Worries Bilateral Partners –AU, ECOWAS, UNMIL Express Fears, Sources: Daily OBSERVER, FAAPA, LINA, New DEMOCRAT, The ANALYST, The INQUIRER, The New Dawn, and The NEWS

Liberia international partners are becoming weary that the ongoing political stalemate in the country, if not resolved soon, will affect the much anticipated smooth transition process that should be the first in over seven decades.

In a joint statement issued in Monrovia Friday, the African Union Liaison Office (AULOL), and Office of the ECOWAS Commission as well as the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), called for calm, while at the same time urging for the rule of law to be upheld. The partners are also calling for the expeditious adjudication of the on-going election disputes.

“We are aware of the grievances and concerns of some political parties regarding the 10 October elections and their complaints to seek either a rerun, or amends towards improving the National Elections Commission’s performance in the areas of concern before holding a run-off election. But we express concern over the prospects of a significant delay in bringing the litigations to their closure, thereby thwarting completion of the election process before the constitutionally-mandated date of government transition in January 2018,” the statement said. Read more

Ellen Lauds Nigeria for Country’s Peace, Sources: New DEMOCRAT and The ANALYST

Speaking in Owerri in Imo State, Nigeria over the weekend where she had gone to attend an honoring ceremony in her honor, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf acknowledged the significant role Nigeria played in the restoration of peace to Liberia, assuring that Liberians will continue to show gratitude for staying with the country throughout the trying moment of the Liberian crisis, this paper reports.

According to President Sirleaf, Liberians were grateful to Nigeria for the peace that Liberians enjoy today, adding, “Nigeria contributed a whole lot, you prayed with us, cried with us and died for us. So Nigeria is a part of what we are today.”

Earlier, Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers honored the Liberia leader with chieftaincy title of “ADA DI OHA NMA”. The chairman of the Council, Eze Samuel Ohiri, who presided over the ceremony at the Eze Imo Palace, said the decision to confer the title on President Sirleaf was due to her outstanding contribution to the restoration of peace in Liberia and the West Africa sub-region.

UP Chairman admits to irregularities, Source: The INQUIRER

The National Elections Commission (NEC), chief hearing officer, Cllr. Muana Ville has denied a motion for compulsory joinder filed by the ruling Unity Party (UP) and the opposition Liberty Party (LP). It was denied on grounds that the UP earlier argued that those political parties that need to join them by force had earlier complained about dissatisfaction over the results. “I wonder what has stopped them from filing a  complaint or intervening if they have interest in any action that has claimed national attention”, Cllr. Ville said. UP’s first witness admitted to more irregularities that occurred to polling places all over the country, according to reports.

‘Desperate ventures’ senator Wesseh speaks on election ‘brouhaha’, Source: INSIGHT

Senator Conmany Wesseh says if the runoff election which is being stalled by a court action from the opposition Liberty Party (LP) fails to take place, the Supreme Court would not stop the president from continuing beyond her constitutional mandate because the constitution does not speak on that. Speaking in an interview in Monrovia, Senator Wesseh said the election fraud crisis could be avoided if the aggrieved parties accept that the errors have happened and that such errors are not affecting the totality of the electoral process in a way that impacts the results.

“Vote of No Confidence” – NAMBO, NCA Seek ECOWAS, AU’s Intervention, Source: The ANALYST

Two groups, the National Movement for Boakai (NAMBO) and the North Central Alliance (NCA) have expressed a vote of no confidence in the National Elections Commission (NEC) and have demanded that the Jerome Korkoya-led Commission quits. The NAMBO and NCA further called on the international community, especially ECOWAS and the AU to quickly intervene in the ongoing post-electoral dispute in the country before the matter slips out of control, this paper reports.

Addressing a press conference over the weekend, the two groups with links to the ruling Unity Party (UP) standard bearer Joseph Boakai claimed to have a preponderance of evidence in their possession that the 10 October elections were characterized with massive fraud and irregularities.

The two pro-Boakai groups said with the stock of evidence in their possession, the entire Board of Commissioners, the executive director, and the data personnel should resign or be made to resign.

Lawmakers-elect Fearing Repeat Election, Source: New DEMOCRAT

According to New Democrat, some representatives-elect have expressed concern that the opposition Liberty Party (LP) standard bearer, Cllr. Charles Brumskine’s legal action pushing for the 10 October 2017 vote nullification due to ‘fraud and irregularities’ could reverse their political fortune. The elected Representatives, some still serving current term until January 2018 were overheard in the House of Representatives’ Chamber at the Capitol Building discussing what their fate would be should the complaint process leads to a rerun of the elections.

The National Elections Commission (NEC) is hearing more than 50 fraud and irregularities-related complaints filed by various candidates and political parties including the LP and the ruling Unity Party (UP). The Supreme Court has urged the electoral body to speed up investigation into the fraud and irregularity complaint arising from the 10 October polls.

Boakai, Brumskine urged, Source: The New Dawn

The Movement for Democratic Transition (MODET), a CSO, is calling on the presidential candidate of the ruling Unity Party (UP), Vice President Joseph Boakai and the standard bearer of the opposition Liberty Party (LP), Cllr. Charles Brumskine to allow democracy to flourish for the good of the country.

Addressing a news conference over the weekend in Monrovia, MODET chairman Cyrus Zaway said the organization wants to draw the attention of the Liberian people to the unfolding events in the country’s fragile democracy. Mr. Zaway says Vice President Boakai and Cllr. Brumskine's alleged political marriage is on record for saying they will do everything to abort a supposedly “evil child”. MODET says the statement is not just scaring but diabolical and diametrical to the democratic transition that Liberians so wish to witness for the first time since 1944.

According to Mr. Zaway, this clearly unveils Boakai-Brumskine collective plan to delay the runoff election through a cynical political arrangement that will lead the country into a constitutional crisis and allow them to argue for an interim government. Read more

UP goes fishing at NEC?, Source: The New Dawn

The governing Unity Party (UP) which joined the Liberty Party’s (LP) cry for fraud and irregularities on the eve of a Supreme Court ruling into the LP’s plea for a prohibition against the November 7 runoff appears to have gone fishing for pieces of evidence at the National Elections Commission (NEC).

The prohibition, which is now enforced arises from a petition filed by the LP praying the high court for a writ of prohibition on activities leading to the runoff in order to enable the NEC to look into its complaint of allegations of fraud and irregularities in the October 10 elections.

The UP, which complaints were earlier turned down but accepted after the high court decision to grant the LP its preemptory prohibition has requested that the NEC among other things produce all documents from its 5390 polling centers, the final voters’ register, all worksheets by the various magistrates and tally sheets, without pointing to a specific polling center, where it has evidence to prove there were fraud or irregularities.

At an appeal hearing on Friday before the NEC Board of Commissioners, lawyers representing the ruling party argued that all the ballot boxes from the over 5000 polling stations be brought at the hearing before they can proceed further with their case. But lawyers representing the NEC countered and argued that to request the electoral body to bring in the 5390 ballot boxes implies that the UP has no evidence and has come fishing for one. Read more

Liberian Youth Urged to Resist, Political, Election Violence, Sources: All Africa and FrontPage Africa

Bong County’s Jorquelleh District paramount chief Mary Larteh on Friday urged young people not to allow politicians to use them to instigate violence during and after the runoff election. "You are too precious to be used as a scapegoat," Chief Larteh said during a one-day Presidential-election-focused Community Media Forum organized by Internews. "Some of their children are abroad going to school, while you are here going to government schools," the paramount chief said. Read more

Embassies urged to deny politicians visas, Source: The New Dawn

A Liberian cleric Bishop James Allison of the Christ Revival International Ministries (CRIM) in Bentol City, Montserrado County, is calling on foreign embassies in the country to place a blockade on politicians and their families to prevent them from leaving Liberia until election cases pending before the National Election Commission (NEC) are resolved.

Bishop Allison made the call to deny politicians and their families’ visas over the weekend in Bentol City during a news conference. The CRIM Bishop says he has credible information that some politicians are allegedly planning to take their families out of the country after holding the country’s presidential runoff election hostage.

But Bishop Allison declines to name the politicians that he is alleging are attempting to send their families out of the country. He, however, says while he was visiting an embassy in Monrovia, he saw a Liberian politician and his families attempting to obtain visas in order to flee the country. Allison alleges that the politician in question is one of the principal actors in the ongoing legal battle against the NEC in the alleged election irregularities and fraud currently being investigated by the NEC. Read more

Sodomized At 10: Menace of Rape in the Liberian Society, Source: FrontPage Africa

A woman (name withheld for security reason) has reported that her son (name withheld) has been sodomized by some boys in Compound Three in Grand Bassa County. The mother said the abuse has caused the boy severe stomach pain since March 2017. Four boys ages 16 and 19 in the neighborhood sodomized the boy according to report. “The four boys had sex with me plenty times in my butt (anus) and threatened to kill me if I ever say it to anyone,” the boy told his Mother. Read more

Former Kosovo leader extols Liberian women, Source: The New Dawn

Former Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga has identified with Liberian women saying the resilience shown by the local women in the fight for peace, democracy, and justice is similar to that shown by women in her home as both countries share post-conflict histories.

President Jahjaga who was in Liberia as one of the leaders of the National Democratic Institute’s (NDI) international observation mission had a successful career in public service--including 13 years in law enforcement before becoming the youngest woman in the world to be elected president.

A press statement issued by the NDI over the weekend said while awaiting the new date for the runoff polls, Ms. Jahjaga took time to meet in Monrovia with Liberian women who have suffered sexual violence and others who are policy advocates on women’s issues. The former Kosovo leader also visited a shelter in Paynesville for children who have been victims of sexual abuse. Read more

Dashing millions in thin air?, Source: FrontPage Africa

FrontPage Africa says it has uncovered that USD5 million has been paid to Praise Glory Lawal Construction Company against advice from the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) not to make the payment pending the outcome of an investigation. LACC in 2015 launched a probe into the contract which showed that the company allegedly received USD1.9 million for the rehabilitation of the Brewerville-Bopolu road project without submission of a Bill of Quantity to the Public Works Ministry. According to the paper’s own investigation, the contract should have been given to another company, Solid Rock Investment. Read more

UNDP, LRA commission Large Baggage Scanners at RIA, Sources: The INQUIRER and The New Dawn

The UN development agency, UNDP) and the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) have commissioned two large baggage scanners at the Roberts International Airport (RIA) in Margibi County.

UNDP country director Pa Lamin Beyai said the donation of the two scanners is in support of the LRA’s Customs Office. “Specifically, the scanners will help protect people properties in line with international best practice for customs at airports…. They will also improve customs effectiveness at the RIA entry and exit points, increase operational efficiency, and minimize smuggling…, Beyai said during the commissioning ceremony. The UNDP boss puts the overall cost, including transportation, installation, accessories, and training of 10 LRA staff to operate and maintain the scanners at USD140,000.00.

On her part, LRA commissioner-general Elfrieda Stewart Tamba said with the support of donors and other partners, the LRA is striving for the transformation of tax administration in Liberia to the benefit of the country and its people. Read more

Martin Kollie elected to African Youth Forum, Sources: INSIGHT and The ANALYST

A Liberian youth activist, Martin Kollie has been elected deputy chief of the secretariat of the African Youth Forum which was organized by the PLO Lumumba Foundation of Kenya lawyer, Prof. Patrick Loch Lumumba. The forum was held in Nairobi by Prof. Lumumba, former director of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission. The Kenyan lawyer admonished young Africans to stand up for Africa by fully utilizing their energy, skills, and knowledge to build a new Africa when he spoke at the opening of the event.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ON LIBERIA

ExxonMobil quits Liberia offshore block¸ Source: Upstream Online

ExxonMobil has quit a block off Liberia where the US supermajor threw up dust at what had been a closely-watched wildcat almost a year ago.

Partner Canadian Overseas Petroleum revealed on Monday that the pair have let go of LB-13 after both companies “elected not to enter into the third exploration phase” at the tract.

The production sharing contract on the block had expired on 25 September, but around that date, Canadian Overseas had said it was aiming to speak with Liberian officials over the PSC as its technical team saw “opportunities” in other areas of the block and continued “to perform geological and geophysical analysis in these areas”. Read more

COPL takes hit on offshore Liberia licence, Source: Stock Market Wire

Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited (COPL) booked an impairment of $15.6m after surrendering rights to licence offshore Liberia. COPL said it continued to focus on developing its attractive oil appraisal and development project in OPL 226, offshore Nigeria but during the third quarter to the end of September it and its partner in block LB-13, offshore Liberia, elected not to enter into third exploration period and surrendered their rights to the licence. COPL said this resulted in the expiration of LB-13 production sharing contract on 25 September.

The company said it booked an impairment of its exploration and evaluation assets of $15.6m that related to Liberia project. Subsequent to the end of Q3, the company raised £2.5m of additional equity in London to strengthen its balance sheet. Read more

Large Fishing Trawler Arrested in Liberia, Source: GNN Liberia

A St Kitts and Nevis-flagged trawler has been arrested in Liberia for fisheries crimes including fish smuggling and violations of tax and customs laws. The F/V Dzintars, a 56-meter (184-foot) trawler, was boarded by the Liberian Coast Guard after the vessel shut down her Automatic Identification System before crossing from neighboring Sierra Leone into Liberian waters. The Liberian Coast Guard boarded the Dzintars with the assistance of the Sea Shepherd vessel, Sam Simon. 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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