13 October 2017

 

LIBERIA MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

Liberia's Provisional 2017 Elections Results Put Weah, Boakai in Lead, Sources: Daily OBSERVER, FAAPA, FrontPage Africa, LINA, The New Dawn, and The NEWS

The National Elections Commission (NEC) Thursday announced the first provisional results of Tuesday’s  elections putting Senator George Weah of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and Vice President Joseph Boakai of the ruling Unity Party (UP) in the lead.

According to the tally, Senator Weah acquired a total of 13,7606 votes so far representing 37.0528 percent, while Vice President Boakai attained 10,6456 votes so far accounting for 28.6651 percent. NEC Progressive Tally Report (CONSOLIDATED)

Newly Elected Lawmakers Will Be in Majority, Source: Daily OBSERVER

The Daily Observer reports that following Tuesday’s polls, the House of Representatives will by next year welcome a batch of new lawmakers, according to preliminary results authorities of the National Elections Commission (NEC) have released. The results indicate that over 47 new representatives (65%) are expected to occupy 65% of the 73-seat chamber on 8 January 2018, while 26 representatives (35%) are incumbents who were re-elected.

In Montserrado County, 10 new lawmakers won according to early results the NEC released, while seven others, predominantly from the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) were re-elected.

ECC, Others Call on Political Parties to Let NEC Announce Election Results, Sources: Daily OBSERVER and The New Dawn

The Elections Coordinating Committee (ECC) has released its preliminary findings from 496 out of 498 nationwide polling centers and called on political parties, independent candidates, and supporters to remain peaceful and desist from announcing elections results or claiming victory and abide by the laws.

Oscar Bloh, chairman of the ECC Steering Committee, made the call Thursday at a press conference in Monrovia and urged political parties and independent candidates with grievances regarding the electoral process and results to follow the laws and procedures as enshrined in the electoral laws and regulations.

In the event of a runoff, Mr. Bloh said: “The ECC encourages the contesting political parties to deploy trained agents to observe the voting, closing, counting and tallying of the results and to properly document their findings and avoid interfering with the process.”

EU Observer Team Lauds Liberians for Peaceful Elections, Sources: Daily OBSERVER and The New Dawn

The EU Elections Observer Mission (EUEOM) has lauded Liberians for not just turning out in their numbers, but conducting peaceful elections across the country. The EU Observer team, at a press conference in Monrovia Thursday, described Election Day as calm and adequately conducted by the National Elections Commission (NEC). ”Before that, the election campaign was nearly entirely peaceful,” the mission’s chief observer, Maria Arena said.

Ms. Arena said Liberians mobilized for a democratic transition in elections, with the scope for legal and procedural improvements. She said that voters, with the manner in which the polls were held, showed their strong desire to be part of the democratic process by participating in their great numbers at the polls.

Election Group Wants Liberian Government Up Political Participation, Sources: FAAPA, LINA, and The New Dawn

The Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA) has petitioned the Liberian government to consider passing laws and implementing measures that will increase the political participation of disadvantaged groups in the country.

EISA is proposing that such legislation should proffer opportunities such as reserved seats for women, youth, and people with disabilities in the House of Representatives, noting that such recommendation is in line with international protocols.

EISA is also calling on the government to consider passing legislation or amending existing ones to provide for the conduct of elections during the dry season as opposed to the rainy season.

In its preliminary statement on Tuesday’s elections in Liberia released in Monrovia Thursday, the group in several recommendations also urged the government to take initiatives to engage the youths to instill the values of democratic political culture in the form of long-term citizenship education.

Weah Vows To Run Again In 2023, If He Loses Polls, Sources: FAAPA and LINA

The standard bearer of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), Senator George Weah, has said he will contest again in the 2023 presidential elections should he lose the 2017 October 10 poll. “If I lose, I will contest as many times as I want,” he told journalists immediately after casting his ballot at the Kendeja Elementary School in Paynesville, outside Monrovia recently. Weah’s statement comes in contrast to political pundits’ opinions that he will quit politics if the results of these elections do not go his way again.

‘Supreme Court to Ensure Peaceful Transfer of Power’ Chief Justice Korkpor vows, Source: Daily OBSERVER

Chief Justice Francis Korkpor says the Supreme Court has an extremely important role to keep the country stable and on the path of democracy and ensure a peaceful transfer of power from President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s to another democratically elected government. Justice Korkpor said the Supreme Court is ready to dispense fairness, transparency and impartially in all cases that will emerge from the October 10 elections.

“We give further assurance that the wishes of the Liberian people, as expressed through their ballots, will be fully respected. Elections are about mass participation for the electorate to decide; no court will act otherwise to suffocate the process,” Korkpor said recently at the opening of the October 2017 Term of the high court. He noted that the court is manifested through the fair application of the rule of law to ensure protection for all.

New AfDB Country Director Presents Accreditation To Foreign Minister, Sources: Daily OBSERVER, FAAPA, LINA, and The New Dawn

The new country director of the African Development Bank (AfDB) has assured that during his tour of duty here, he will exert all efforts to strengthen the relationship between the bank and the Liberian government, “making it deeper and stronger”.

Dr. Orison Mawumenyo Amu said: “The bank is in the middle of developing a new strategy for Liberia – a business plan. I’ve heard your kind guidance and direction. I will be listening to you and your colleagues during my tenure to tailor out interventions, specifically to address issues that are very important to this country.”

According to a Foreign Ministry release, Dr. Amu spoke Thursday at the Foreign Ministry when he presented his Letters of Accreditation to foreign minister Marjon Kamara. He replaces Ms. Margaret Kilo.

Test Ebola vaccines produce year-long immunity in most study participants, Sources: FAAPA and LINA

Results from PREVAIL I, a large Ebola vaccine study that enrolled more than a thousand Liberians in Monrovia during the first few months of 2015, have been published in the October 12 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

The results show that the two test vaccines, cAd3-EBOZ and rVSV-ZEBOV, pose no major safety concerns and can produce immune responses within one month after vaccination that last for at least one year.

The study was the first to be conducted by the Partnership for Research on Ebola Virus in Liberia (PREVAIL), which operates under the umbrella of a Joint Liberia-US Clinical Research Partnership established in 2014 to assist Liberia to develop vaccines and therapeutics to tackle Ebola.

Liberia Consoles Nigeria on Death of Ex-ECOMOG Boss, Lt. Gen. Malu, Sources: FAAPA and LINA

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has sent a message of condolence to the Nigerian government and people following the death of former Chief of Army Staff and Force Commander of ECOWAS peacekeeping force in Liberia and Sierra Leone, ECOMOG, retired Lt. Gen.  Victor Malu. He died Monday, 9 October in Cairo, Egypt. He was 70 years old. She described him as “a decorated soldier who will be remembered in Liberia for risking everything, including his personal life, in the search for peace in Liberia”.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ON LIBERIA

UN chief welcomes peaceful elections in Liberia, Sources: African Newspage, CRWE World, South-South News, and UNMIL

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed Tuesday's peaceful holding of the presidential and House of Representatives elections in Liberia and reiterated the continued support of the UN to the consolidation of peace and democracy in the West African country.

Ex-Soccer Star and Vice President Lead in Liberia Presidential Vote, Sources: Africa News, BBC, Bloomberg, Deutsche Welle, Euro News, Fox News, France24, Reuters, New Vision, Quartz, The New York Times, The Punch, US news & World Report, Vanguard, VOA, and WHIO TV7

A former professional soccer player and the incumbent vice president are leading in the first round of Liberia’s presidential election, partial results show, and may face each other in a runoff.

With votes from around 25 percent of polling stations counted, George Weah, once named African Player of the Century, and Vice President Joseph Boakai emerged as the top vote-getters among the 20 candidates in Tuesday’s election. Mr. Weah, with roughly 136,000 votes, was leading Mr. Boakai, with 105,000 votes.

But it was unclear whether Mr. Weah would be able to ultimately capture 50 percent plus one vote, the threshold to avoid a second round of balloting.

If no one reaches that level, the top two candidates will advance to a runoff election next month. They are seeking to replace Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who is stepping down after two terms as Africa’s first democratically elected female president.

The announcement of the partial results, made at Liberia’s National Elections Commission Thursday evening, was filled with drama. Many of Mr. Weah’s supporters had been proclaiming him the outright winner, and he appeared to be doing better than most political watchers had expected.

Liberia EC Declares 'No Winner Yet' In Presidential Polls, Sources: Citi FM Online and Modern Ghana

The National Election Commission (NEC) of Liberia has stated that, contrary to claims on social media and some news portals suggesting a winner has been declared in Tuesday’s election, it has not started releasing provisional results of the elections as yet.

The West African country went to the polls on Tuesday to elect a new president following Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's 12-year reign as Africa’s first female President.

Voters are also picking new lawmakers in the West African Nation’s third post-civil war polls.

On Wednesday, several persons on Twitter and Facebook, without any official or provisional results, started congratulating football legend George Oppong Weah as the winner of the polls.

Arsène Wenger wrongly celebrates George Weah's Liberia election win, Sources: BBC and Sports Illustrated

Arsenal's manager Arsène Wenger has seemingly been duped by false reports that former football star George Weah had won Liberia's presidential election, even though the final results have not yet been announced.

Mr. Wenger said: "I would like to congratulate one of my former players, who became president of Liberia." He coached Mr. Weah at French club Monaco in the 1990s.

Mr. Weah was among 20 presidential candidates in Tuesday's election. The former Fifa World Footballer of the Year failed in his two previous attempts but is one of the front-runners to replace President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

However, most analysts expect it to go to a second round, as a candidate needs more than 50% of the votes for outright victory.

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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