20 October 2017

LIBERIA MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

NEC Announces Final Results; Declares Run-off Campaign Open, Sources: Daily OBSERVER, FrontPage Africa, NEC Liberia, and The NEWS

The National Elections Commission (NEC) has finally announced the Final Results from the 10 October presidential and representative elections, declaring that none of the 20 presidential candidates obtained the constitutional requirement of 50 percent plus one vote to be declared a winner in a first round of voting.

NEC Board of Commissioners at a press conference Thursday said, all of the 5, 390 polling places have reported representing 100 percent of a total of 1,553,348 of the total numbers of valid votes cast in the 10 October elections in Liberia.

Declaring the final presidential results, NEC chairman Jerome Korkoya said the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) of Senator George Weah and Vice President Joseph Boakai of the ruling Unity Party (UP) will now contest the run-off election slated for Tuesday, 7 November 2017. Read more

Tarpeh Optimistic of CDC Victory, Source: The NEWS

The campaign manager for the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), Prof. Wilson Tarpeh has expressed optimism for victory in the 7 November presidential run-off election. Shortly after the announcement of the final results by National Elections Commission chairman, Cllr. Jerome Korkoya, Prof. Tarpeh said the CDC accepts the results and assured all CDC partisans, supporters and those who, he said are sitting on the fence, to see the direction shown by 11 counties’ overwhelming votes given to the CDC.

Controversy Hangs Over Montserrado County Electoral District #3 Elections Results, Source: FrontPage Africa

FrontPage Africa reports that controversy has erupted over Montserrado County Electoral District #3 representative election result following the discovery of some ballot boxes that were not sealed. Outgoing Representative Bill Twehway of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) is protesting the result after losing to the Unity Party candidate, Ceebee Barshell following the announcement Thursday of the final results by the National Elections Commission (NEC) of the 10 October presidential and legislative elections.

Twehway came second, followed by Patrick Komoyan of the Alternative National Congress (ANC) but he is protesting the district representative result on grounds that there was foul play at one of the polling precincts. The outgoing Montserrado County lawmaker said one of the ballot boxes at the David Barshell Polling Precinct did not have the normal five seals on it but rather an ordinary plastic and has filed a complaint to the NEC. Read more

Prince Johnson to ‘Uphold Ganta Declaration’, Source: Daily OBSERVER

A source close to Senator Prince Johnson, the standard bearer of the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR), has now confirmed that the MDR leader will not abandon the Ganta Declaration, whose intent is to support a united opposition bid to unseat the ruling Unity Party (UP).

In September 2016, about 20 opposition political parties signed a communiqué called the “Ganta Declaration,” forming a common political collaborative front against the ruling UP ahead of the October 10 elections. Although there was nothing in the Declaration that withheld parties which signed the document from seeking the presidency in their own right, they all, however, agreed to collaborate to defeat the UP candidate.

MDR chairman, Moses Ziah, could neither confirm nor deny Senator Johnson’s decision to pledge support to the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) but told a local radio station manager in Nimba County that: “Senator Johnson, as a peaceful political leader, often sticks to his word, which would include the Ganta Declaration.” Read more

Alexander Cummings Conditions Before Endorsing Boakai or Weah, Source: FrontPage Africa

Political campaign for the 7 November run-off election has already begun – both the ruling Unity Party (UP) and the main opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) are already lobbying for the support of major opposition political parties.

Liberty Party’s Cllr. Charles Brusmkine has called for reelection and has, therefore, remained mute on whom he will endorse for the run-off election. But Mr. Alexander Cummings of the Alternative National Congress (ANC), who has invited international experts to examine the level of fraud that took place during the October 10 elections, has laid out conditions on which he will endorse any of the two parties contesting the run-off.

Cummings told a local radio talk show in Monrovia that his support to either of the two political parties – CDC and UP – would depend upon three issues which he considers cardinal. Read more

Ellen Frowns at ‘Abuses’ on Social Media, Sources: Daily OBSERVER and FrontPage Africa

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has denounced the spate of abuses that has been posted on social media by Liberians during the recent elections, suggesting that the country’s democracy is at stake if it continues.

President Sirleaf’s statement came Thursday, less than two hours after Cllr. Jerome Korkoya, chairman of the National Elections Commission (NEC), declared campaign open for the run-off between Senator George Weah of the main opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and Vice President Joseph Boakai of the governing Unity Party (UP).

The run-off, Cllr. Korkoya said, will be held on 7 November, since none of the 20 political parties that participated in the October 10 presidential elections obtained the 50 percent plus one of the total votes cast as required by the Liberian Constitution.

However, the president said she has observed that a week following the end of the first round of voting on October 10, her attention was drawn to a surge of abuses displayed on social media (mostly on Facebook) by Liberians, which she said is extremely inimical to the survival of the country’s peace and democracy. “We condemn the abuse and misuse of social media through the use of invectives, hate speech and outright vulgarity, which denigrates adversaries with whom we might hold disagreement,” President Sirleaf said. Read more

Voter Trucking Could Dampen Turnout during Run-off – Who Will Bear the Burden?, Source: Daily OBSERVER

The National Elections Commission (NEC) has released the final results of the October 10 elections and determined that since none of the 20 presidential candidates managed to gather the required 50 percent plus one of the total valid votes cast, there will be a run-off election. However, there is a reason to believe that voter turnout could significantly affect the outcome of the run-off due to a phenomenon from the voter registration period — voter trucking.

According to the Daily Observer, this would definitely be the biggest dilemma that the two remaining presidential candidates – Senator George Weah of the main opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and Vice President Joseph Boakai of the ruling Unity Party (UP) – should ready themselves to face as Liberians head for the run-off.

The Daily Observer continues that it is no secret that during the voter registration period, thousands of voting-age people, especially jobless youth, were transported by legislative candidates to their (candidates’) respective districts in order to have an edge in the October 10 election for the House of Representatives.  While some of those trucked may have had some genuine native connection to the districts to which they were transported, others went to register in those places mainly in exchange for cash. Read more

Liberty Party Appeals Dismissed in Electoral Violation Case in Lofa County, Source: FrontPage Africa

Ahead of the 7 November run-off election, the Liberty Party (LP) has appealed the ruling of the National Elections Commission (NEC) which dismissed three complaints brought before its magistrate in Lower Lofa County. The complaints were dismissed on Wednesday, 18 October by NEC hearing officer Daniel Dolokelen.

Complainant Ambulleh Kanneh, representing the LP filed three complaints with the NEC local office citing several electoral violations allegedly committed by the incumbent representative of Lofa Electoral District #3, Clarence Massaquoi. In his complaint, Mr. Kanneh accused Representative Massaquoi of allegedly campaigning from town to town on the eve of Election Day …. Read more

Liberian Government Officials That Resigned Resurfacing in Government After Losing Elections, Source: FrontPage Africa

FrontPage Africa reports that resigned officials of the government who were unsuccessful in the just-ended legislative elections are returning to work. Former gender minister, Julia Duncan Cassell who contested in Grand Bassa County is poised to reassume her post at the Ministry; while Abu Kamara who was denied participation in the elections by the ‘controversial’ Code of Conduct (CoC) has also been tipped to return to work, more so, Varney Sirleaf, deputy internal affairs minister has also been re-nominated for his post. Bong County superintendent, Selena Mappy Polson, and the former head of the National Bureau of Concessions, Ciatta Bishop, according to sources, are reassuming their respective positions, as well.

Mrs. Cassell resigned her post to contest the legislative seat for Grand Bassa Electoral District #3 but lost to Matthew Joe. Mr. Sirleaf failed to defeat incumbent lawmaker Haja Fata Siryon in Bomi Electoral District #3. Mrs. Polson who was the first to challenge the CoC but was defeated at the Supreme Court also lost to Moima Mensah in Bong Electoral District #6.

In a related development, reports have indicated that some officials who resigned for the sole purpose of contesting the elections were receiving their regular monthly salary while they were off the job. This, however, has not been independently verified by FrontPage Africa. Read more

LBS Apologizes to MOVEE National Chairman, Source: Daily OBSERVER

The Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS) last Wednesday, expressed regret to the national chairman of the Movement for Economic Empowerment (MOVEE), Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah Sr., for the erroneous report in a broadcast by its Lofa County correspondent, Tokpa Tarnue, in Foya.

LBS director-general, Ledgerhood Rennie who spoke Wednesday on the system’s Super Morning Show said the medium deemed it right to add its voice to reporter Tarnue’s to say sorry to Mr. Kemayah and MOVEE for the inconvenience the report caused them.

It may be recalled that on October 10, when Liberians were exercising their franchise across the country, the LBS Lofa correspondent reported that the MOVEE chairman was invited by the Liberia National Police (LNP) for questioning for allegedly being caught dishing out cash to voters to cast their ballots for MOVEE standard bearer Dr. Joseph Mills Jones and party representative aspirant in that county. The police in the county later clarified that the allegation leveled against Mr. Kemayah was not actually true as reported by the LBS reporter. Read more

Tax Court Orders Musa Bility to Pay USD10,800 Interest, Source: Daily OBSERVER

A USD190,800 tax fraud claim against Mr. Musa Bility, president of Liberia Football Association (LFA), recently took a different turn when the Tax Court demanded that he pay the six percent (USD10,800) interest as agreed on. Bility is president and CEO of Srimex, a company dealing in petroleum products that is at the center of the fraud allegation, and also the owner of Renaissance Communications that operates Truth FM Radio, Real TV, and Renaissance newspaper.

The legal argument came after Bility admitted to the tax fraud and agreed to pay the interest as part of a provisional deal to settle the charges by the government that he evaded taxes in the amount of USD190,800. Bility has made several payments through the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) leaving a balance of USD94,710 without the knowledge of the court, which prompted Judge Mozart Chesson to demand his portion of the money – the six percent interest initially agreed on. Read more

Ex-Minister Disagrees with ‘Messy Education’ Perception, Source: Daily OBSERVER

Former assistant education minister for teacher education has disagreed with the long-held view of the government that the country’s education system is a mess. Mr. Moses Blonkanjay Jackson said that the statement that the country’s education is a mess, attributed to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, lacked real fact, and was meant to shame students and their teachers. Mr. Jackson spoke at a program marking this year’s World Teachers’ Day held at the Monrovia Christian Fellowship under the theme, “Teaching in Freedom, Empowering Teachers.”

The former assistant education minister added that when something becomes a mess, it means it is dirty or in a condition that is disorganized, “but this is not the case with Liberia’s education system. “I beg to differ that the country’s education system is a mess. This assertion made by President Sirleaf was not based on research. I admit, there are huge gaps in our pedagogy but that doesn’t make the system to be a mess,” Jackson said. Read more

Liberia Presents Readiness Package At FCPF Meeting In Laos, Source: Daily OBSERVER

Liberia has presented a Participatory Self-Assessment and Synthesis of its R-Package (Readiness Package) at the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) Participants’ Committee and Participants Assembly meeting in Luang Prabang, Laos, a release issued by the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) Thursday said.

According to the release, Liberia’s presentation was stratified into four components including REDD+ Integration and Alignment with national development agenda, Liberia’s R-Package Assessment and Progress, Participants Committee (FCPF Highest Decision Making Body) comments at Mid-term Report (MTR) versus progress and next steps.

Under integration and alignment with national development agenda, the release said Liberia reported that the REDD+ Strategy is consistently being integrated and aligned with major laws and policies in Liberia, including but not limited to the national Agenda for Transformation (AfT), the National Climate Change Policy, Climate Change Gender Action Plan and Protected Areas and Wildlife Law and the National Forestry Reform Law (2006). Read more

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ON LIBERIA

100% results of Liberia presidential polls, run-off set for November 7, Sources: Africa News, Channel News Asia, Deutsche Welle, Journal du Cameroun, Reuters, and Today Online

Liberia’s National Elections Commission (NEC) on Thursday released full results of the October 10 general elections. The body further confirmed a run-off vote between the two top candidates for the presidency.

Ex-football star, George Weah of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) will face current vice-president, Joseph Boakai of the ruling Unity Party (UP) in a race to succeed Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Sirleaf won elections in 2006 to become the continent’s first democratically elected female leader. She won a second term in 2011. She will hand over to the winner of the run-off – the second president after the end of the 2003 civil war.

The NEC beat the official deadline for the announcement of final results by six clear days. It had until October 25 to announce full results as per electoral laws. Read more

Opposition cries foul as Liberia releases poll result, Source: Anadolu Agency

The National Election Commission on Thursday released the final result of the October 10 polls, clearing former football star George Weah and the ruling Unity Party Vice President, Joseph Boakai, for a runoff election in November.

The results come amidst cries of election foul from three leading opposition parties. The commission chairman, however, did not mention a word on the concerns expressed by opposition Liberty Party, the Alternative National Congress and the All Liberian about alleged irregularities that marred the voting process on October 10, 2017.

According to the constitution, a presidential candidate is declared a winner if he or she obtains at least 50 percent of the overall vote cast plus one; however, none of the 20 candidates in the recently-concluded election was able to meet that condition. Commission Chairman Jerome Korkoya said Weah obtained 596,037 (or 38.4 percent) votes while Boakai bagged 446,716 (or 28.8 percent) votes of the total 1,641,922 (or 95.19 percent) votes polled. Read more

Social media ‘hate speech’ worries Sirleaf, Source: Journal du Cameroun

Liberia President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has expressed concern about the alleged misuse of social media to incite hatred and spread violence in the wake of last week’s landmark elections. ”Barely a week after the end of first round of elections, our attention has been drawn to displays on social media that are extremely inimical to the survival of our peace and democracy,” the Liberian leader said in a nationwide address on Thursday.

She condemned the “abuse and misuse of social media through the use of invectives, hate speech and outright vulgarity which denigrate adversaries with whom we might hold disagreement.” She added: “In light of the progress we have collectively made, I call on our fellow citizens to remain civil, responsible and continue to be tolerant of diverging opinions and views that might not necessarily be favorable to ours”.

She warned that resorting to profanities on social media contributes nothing to the national discourse, but only serves to taint Liberia’s international image. She called on all Liberians to eschew “such unacceptable way of politicking and seek to continue the decent democratic values that have brought us this far as a nation and people.” Read more

Liberia's controversial school reforms divide the nation a year on, Source: Daily Mail Online

On a weekday morning in Cecelia Dunbar School, a bumpy hour's drive from Liberia's capital, a group of seven-year-olds concentrate on their maths lesson, seated at individual wooden desks.

Children at schools like Cecelia Dunbar read and count at a level improved by 60 percent from a year ago -- proof, according to the government and private education companies that a bold experiment for one of the world's worst education systems has succeeded.

"The approaches that each of the providers are bringing in are showing results," said Christina PioCosta-Lahue, the managing director of Rising Academies Liberia, which operates 29 schools on the government's behalf under the Partnership Schools Programme launched last year. "A student in first grade (six to seven years old) has made two years of progress in reading," PioCosta-Lahue said. Read more

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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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