21 November 2017

LIBERIA MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

US Lawmakers Call for American Government Intervention in Liberia’s Electoral Standoff, Source: FrontPage Africa

FrontPage Africa reports that the ongoing electoral standoff due to allegations of fraud and irregularities having a significant impact on the October 10 presidential and legislative elections has caught the attention of US Congressional members.

Congress members Sheila Johnson Lee and Bobby L. Rush have written Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, seeking the timely intervention of the US government to ensure that allegations of electoral fraud are speedily adjudicated to avoid a constitutional crisis in the country. In the letter, the US lawmakers expressed concern about the possibility of prolonged litigation and the ramifications it could have on Liberia’s democratic process.

The congressional members acknowledged the legal process and the grievances of the complaining political parties, and heralded the parties for observing the rule of law, but urged the US government to encourage and support any effort to quickly resolve the fracas.

According to such a resolution, this will allow Liberians to exercise their rights by going to the polls and ensuring a timely, peaceful, and constitutional transfer of power as scheduled.  Read more

Elections Hearing Officer Dismisses Allegations of Electoral Fraud, Sources: Daily OBSERVER and FrontPage Africa

The hearing officer of the National Elections Commission (NEC) has denied and dismissed complaints of fraud and irregularities in the October 10elections filed by the opposition Liberty Party (LP) and an intervention by the ruling Unity Party (UP).

Cllr. Muana Ville has mandated the electoral commission to take necessary steps to correct all that it admitted to as difficulties and challenges before any future elections. Cllr. Ville in the ruling said the first complainant (LP) and intervener complainant (UP) failed to prove allegations of fraud that warrant the rerun of the October 10elections.

In keeping with the law the first complainant and interveners have the right to seek an appeal to the NEC Board of Commissioners and if the ruling from that body is not satisfactory, the complainants can further appeal to the Supreme Court. Read more

NAYMOTE Enhances Role of Youth in Political Process, Source: Daily OBSERVER

A local group, NAYMOTE Partners for Democratic Development has continued to intensify its youth peace and reconciliation dialogues among young people in political parties and statutory youth organizations. The dialogue was held to develop a sense of oneness among young people from different political intuitions as well as to garner their opinions on the lessons learned during the first round of the 2017 elections and how these lessons can be used to inform decisions during the runoff and future elections to prevent electoral violence.

The second regional youth peace dialogue was held in Tubmanburg, Bomi County over the weekend and brought together 75 young people from Gbarpolu, Grand Cape Mount, Montserrado, and Bomi counties, representing six political parties that included the main opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), the ruling Unity Party (UP), Liberty Party (LP), Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR), Alternative National Congress (ANC), and the All Liberian Party (ALP). The Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY), Liberia National Student Union (LINSU), and the Mano River Union Youth Parliament (MRUYP) also participated in the dialogue. Read more

IMF USD20.7M Payment Reopens Floodgates to Court Cases, Source: Daily OBSERVER

The Daily Observer reports that several companies, including the Prestige and Alliance Motor Corporation, are now running back to the commercial court for financial settlement the Liberian government owed them. The companies’ action comes a week after the IMF Executive Board approved USD20.7 million for the government to offset its domestic financial obligations. The IMF said the money was part of its seventh and eighth final review of Liberia’s economic performance under the program supported by the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement.

Prestige and Alliance Motors alleged that the government was indebted to them in the amount of USD10.7 million for vehicles and spare parts they supplied from 2003 to March 2008 but are yet to receive any payment, which case has been at the commercial court for almost three years.

Meanwhile, the court has now reopened the case for hearing today, Tuesday1. Read more

Liberian Vendors Crave Economic Stability - Petitions US Embassy for Intervention, Source: FrontPage Africa

Several businesses in Monrovia and its environs under the banner - Liberian Entrepreneurs and Vendors United for Economic Stability will be petitioning the US government through its Embassy in Monrovia on today, Tuesday. The request to petition the US government by the group has been accepted and due attention accorded them by the Embassy. The petition will contain narratives on the level of hardship business people are facing as the result of the ongoing delay to conduct the runoff presidential election. Read more

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ON LIBERIA

Liberia electoral commission rejects parties' fraud case, Source: The Sun Daily

Liberia's electoral commission on Monday formally rejected fraud allegations lodged by two parties over the presidential election result, setting the country on a course for a showdown at the Supreme Court.

The National Elections Commission (NEC) has held hearings to review complaints lodged on Oct 23 by the ruling Unity party and the opposition Liberty Party, whose candidates came second and third respectively in the October 10 elections.

Muana Ville, the hearing officer of the NEC, said he was "not convinced that the issue raised in the complaints amounts to fraud because the parties have failed to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that NEC committed fraud in the October 10 elections".

The two parties are allowed an appeal to the NEC's board of commissioners, though they have already publicly called on them to step down over the allegations. Read more

Liberian 2017 presidential election: First round saga, Source: The Patriotic Vanguard

I have covered the 2017 Liberian presidential election since 2016, over eight months before the start of the campaign in 2017. Liberia’s election was my first political coverage in Africa. I have covered many elections in America. Although the US presidential election is somewhat different from that in Africa, all political parties have one common interest; that is they all want to win.

Political campaigns provide the arena for a candidate to inform and sell his/her platform to the electorate. Elections accentuate and bring to light the democratic principle that power is inherent in the people, and that the people have the power to change their government and officials and to replace them with a system and individuals of their choice. This right constitutes the essence of democracy. Read more

Anxiety grows among Minnesota Liberians, Central Americans as TPS decisions loom, Source: Star Tribune

University of Minnesota senior Abena Abraham has relied on a temporary deportation reprieve for Liberians. She recently traveled to D.C. to lobby for TPS.

How the United States defines the word "temporary" is becoming a key question for immigrants allowed to stay and work in Minnesota when disaster strikes back home.

The Trump administration is about to decide whether to continue a program called temporary protected status for several Central American countries and a similar program for Liberia. As some local recipients brace for bad news, advocates on opposite sides of the immigration debate are squaring off over just how long is long enough to harbor immigrants from troubled places. Read more

Bill Clinton to visit Little Rock for conversation with Liberian president, Source: Arkansas Online

Bill Clinton is returning to Little Rock in December, this time accompanied by the president of Liberia. On Monday, the Clinton School of Public Service announced that the former U.S. president will appear at the Statehouse Convention Center on December 4 for a conversation with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

Sirleaf is the first woman to be elected as a head of state in Africa, according to a news release. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 for her work to end violence against women. The conversation is part of the Clinton School’s Frank and Kula Kumpuris Distinguished Lecture Series. 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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