26 December 2017

LIBERIA MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

U.S. Embassy in Monrovia Warns Citizens of Possible Electoral Violence, Source: FrontPage Africa

FrontPage Africa reports that the United States Embassy in Monrovia has warned its citizens of possible violence before or after Tuesday’s elections. The Embassy in a statement, warned citizens residing in or traveling to Liberia, that large event could provide an opportunity for criminal elements or terrorists to target participants or others in the vicinity. “Even events intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence." "You should avoid areas of demonstrations and protests and exercise caution if in the vicinity of any large gatherings,” the statement noted.

The U.S. Embassy: “Monitor media and local information sources regarding election-related developments, and factor updated information into personal travel plans and activities. Avoid crowds and remain alert when using public transportation. Report specific safety concerns to local law enforcement authorities. "Stay in touch with your family members and ensure they know how to reach you in the event of an emergency. During elections, restrictions on traffic circulation, either imposed by the authorities or caused by political rallies, can be expected.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey, Chairman of the Africa Subcommittee of the House of Representatives has called on the government of Liberia to ensure that the election is free, fair and transparent. “Given America’s historic ties to Liberia and the role played by Americo-Liberians in that nation’s development, as well as the important contributions made by Liberian-Americans in many communities in the United States, we take special interest in the process and are hopeful for a just and fair outcome,” he said he a statement. Read More

NDI Liberia Observation Leadership to Observe Poll Opening in Monrovia  26 December, Source: FrontPage Africa

This paper reports that the National Democratic Institute (NDI) is fielding an international election observation mission for Liberia's presidential run-off election, 26 December. Leadership of the delegation will witness the polls open today on election day at the St. Peter’s Lutheran Church location in Monrovia. They will be available to speak to the press. Leadership of the delegation is comprised of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, former President of Nigeria; Atifete Jahjaga, former President of Kosovo; Hanna Tetteh, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ghana; and Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh, Regional Director, NDI. The delegation includes 36 political and civic leaders, elections experts, and regional specialists from 18 countries across Africa, Europe and North America.

The objectives of the NDI delegation is to provide an accurate and impartial assessment of the administration and character of the election process in Liberia and to demonstrate the support of the international community to Liberian efforts to strengthen democratic processes in their country. The NDI delegation will hold a press conference on Thursday, 28 December at 11:30 am at the Royal Grand Hotel. At that time, NDI will issue a report with the delegation’s preliminary findings and recommendations on steps that could enhance confidence and participation in the election process. Read More

Vice President Boakai Rallies Supporters to Vote in 26 Dec. Runoff, Source: FrontPage Africa

Vice President Joseph  Nyuma Boakai and Standard Bearer of the ruling Unity Party (UP) has rallied his fellow partisans, supporters and well wishers to get out on Tuesday, 26 December and vote for him in the runoff. Veep Boakai’s UP locks horns with Senator George Weah’s Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), which won the most votes in the first round of the 10 October Presidential and Legislative Elections. Twenty candidates, including Mr. Weah and the Vice President, had vied for the nation's highest office with the Veep's UP coming second to CDC, automatically qualifying both parties to go into the runoff election, this paper reports.

Speaking at the close of his party's run-off campaign activities on Sunday night at his UP headquarters in Oldest Congotown, Monrovia, the Veep, who sounded very upbeat urged his thousands of supporters, who included partisans of other collaborating parties, to celebrate their Christmas Day in a way that would enable them to be ready to vote on Tuesday for him and his running mate, House Speaker James Emmanuel Nuquay. “As I  travelled all across the country on the campaign trail, I see that our people want improvement in their statuses. They want better roads, electricity, pipeborne water. We are prepared to provide these things,” the Veep, who spoke extemporaneously, stressed.

He told the thousands of supporters, who were mainly young people, that the decision is now theirs to remain with the status quo or to vote for better education and job employment and empowerment, among others. The UP Standard Bearer urged all his partisans and supporters to remain peaceful. Read More

George Weah Assures Mammoth Crowd of New Beginning at Campaign Climax, Source: FrontPage Africa

The Coalition for Democratic Change, Liberia’s biggest opposition political party, Saturday, 23 December 2017 climaxed its campaign activity, assuring Liberians of a new beginning when they shall have ascended to power. The final rally was held at the Samuel K. Doe Sports Complex in Paynesville, outside Monrovia with thousands of partisans and supporters from the Coalition and other collaborating parties, all attired in their respective party paraphernalia, in attendance.  The ruling Unity Party’s Joseph N. Boakai and soccer icon-turned politician George Weah are contesting the runoff election, which is slated for Tuesday, 26 December 2017.

Delivering his final campaign message, a quite eloquent one, the standard bearer of the CDC, Senator Weah said, Tuesday’s polls presents Liberians an opportunity to change their lives, if only they decided to vote him as the next President. Weah: “Fellow Liberians Tuesday would be the day that you Liberians would decide whether you want to move forward or remain backward. Tuesday would be the day when you’ll decide whether your young brothers and sisters [would continue] moving around in the streets asking people to give them WAEC fees; Tuesday would be a day that you would make a decision for students from university, from high school will move from office to office-to-ask for school fees. Tuesday would be the day that you’ll choose for your family to have food or not to have food.”

Weah said a CDC-led government would invest in the improvement of agriculture as its means of creating jobs and boosting the economy. He told the crowd of jubilant supporters that his vision is to see children of all walks of life get access to free education.  “This is reality, we want you to go to hospital free if you don’t have funds because it’s your right. We’re not going to tell you things that we know that we cannot do. The coalition that I’m in is a coalition that would work for you,” he asserted. Read More

Cummings Warns Partisans Against Disrespecting Sulunteh’s Decision to Support CDC, Source: FrontPage Africa

Alexander Cummings, standard bearer of the opposition Alternative National Congress (ANC), has reacted to dispersing comments against his vice standard bearer’s decision to support the main Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC). Jeremiah Sulunteh’s endorsement of George Weah’s candidacy in the upcoming runoff election recently in Bong County sparked uproar within the ANC. Some partisans had unkind assessment of his political move, this paper reports.

The ANC had earlier declared that it was not endorsing any political party but its partisans are free to support any of the two political parties that will participate in the 26 December vote.

In a recent press statement, Mr. Cummings reechoed that the party has a standard and example of leadership that attracted massive support from Liberians. Mr. Cummings expressed disappointment in the “disparaging comments” by partisans against Mr. Sulunteh for his support for the CDC. “The ANC has strived to lead, innovate and do things different and we believe respecting people’s freedom of association is cardinal to good governance – something an ANC government would have demonstrated. “We also believe that respecting our leaders, even when we disagree with them, is critical to national unity and nation building,” the statement said.

Cummings’ reaction to dissenting comments against his vice standard bearer is expected to caution partisans amid controversy of the party officials splitting their support for both Unity Party and CDC. “As standard bearer of the ANC, I want to make it clear that our party remains neutral, but partisans should (as I will), exercise their freedom to choose and their decision should be respected,” read the statement.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ON LIBERIA

UP Boakai-CDC Weah Test Their Political Strength at the Polls in Hours, Source: News Public Trust

Liberians celebrated their Christmas with a high anticipation of going to the polls many hours later on Tuesday for the delayed run-off election to vote a successor to Africa’s first elected female President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. According to the Liberian constitution, Sirleaf has until mid-January 2018 to hand over power to the next elected government. If all goes well, this election will mark the first time since 1944 that one elected president will peacefully hand-over power to another elected president.

The runoff election is between the incumbent Vice President Joseph Boakai , the standard bearer of the governing Unity Party and Montserrado County Senator George Weah on the ticket of the main opposition Coalition for  Democratic Change. President Johnson Sirleaf will be stepping down after serving her constitutional two-term limit characterized with stability and economic challenges. The campaign, which ended mid-night (Sunday), went on peacefully.

Vice President Boakai campaigned on the platform promising infrastructural development especially roads, education and farming, promising to serve only one term. As for Senator Weah, he focused on government taking responsibility for the fees for 12 graders in the West African Examination, an inclusive administration and improvement in the country’s health care delivery service. Supporters of both parties ended their respective political rallies at the weekend with parties at homes and various entertainment centers across the country.

Ahead of the presidential run-off day, Police Inspector General, Colonel Gregory Coleman announced the deployment of the Election Security Task Forces comprising of the officers of the Liberia National Police, the  Liberia Immigration Service  and the Drug Enforcement Agency throughout the country. Up to press time, some eligible voters have been complaining of not seeing their names on the final registration roll. But the National Elections Commission has informed the public to contact the nearest NEC offices to address issues regarding their names. Read More

Polls Open in Liberia Presidential Runoff as Votes Slowly form Queues, Source: News Public Trust

Queues are being slowly formed on Tuesday in Liberia’s delayed presidential runoff election between incumbent Vice President Joseph Boakai of the ruling Unity Party (UP) and football icon and now Montserrado County Senator George Weah , as polls open. There are more than two million registered voters who are expected to cast their ballots at some 5, 280 polling centers across Liberia. A www.newspublictrust.com Reporter, who visited some voting precincts in Monrovia, says poll workers and police and other security personnel were already at their posts hours before polls opened at 8am local time (GMT).

Unlike the first round of elections on 10 October 2017 when voters converged on polling centers as early at 4am, turnout appears to be slower so far; with many predicting a surge later in the day considering the fact that the vote is taking place just a day after the Christmas festivities. Earlier the state radio ELBC’s Correspondents in rural Liberia reported similar gradual turnout of voters.

Liberia has a history of recording lower voter turnout than first round polls as seen in the past two post-war elections in 2005 and 2011. This 2017 elections is crucial in Liberian democracy as it will mark the first time since 1944 that one elected President will replace another. Outgoing President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is expected to hand-over power to the winner of the December 26, 2017 runoff.

Last Thursday, NEC issued a press release saying that all is now set for the presidential run-off elections. There are concerns that NEC had not been able to adequately conduct voters’ education which may be blamed on the court’s proceedings that followed the 10 October polls.

At the same time, the Elections Coordinating Committee, a civil society organization and Female Journalist Association have been airing voters education on radio stations in Monrovia and other parts of the country. Already, local and international observers from the West African regional organization, the African Union, the European Union and the Elections Coordinating Committee have deployed thousands of election observers throughout the country.

Liberia Runoff Campaign Ends Peacefully, As Police Deploy Nationwide-NEC strengthens the Process, Hires more Queue Controllers, Source: News Public Trust

Campaigning for Tuesday’s presidential runoff election ended by mid-night on Saturday, after a peaceful period of canvasing for votes in the two-horse race. The 26 December election is between incumbent Vice President, Joseph Boakai of the ruling Unity Party (UP) and the main opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) of Senator George Weah. CDC closed their campaign on Saturday with a rally at the main Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Stadium in the Monrovia suburb of Paynesville, while the UP ended theirs on Sunday at the party’s headquarters in the Congo Town suburb of Monrovia.

Tuesday’s polls come nearly a month after the National Elections Commission (NEC) announced the results of the 10 October 2017 elections, which was challenged in court by the ruling Liberty Party (LP) and the UP. But the Supreme Court of Liberia recently gave the greenlight for the runoff after ordering the NEC to clean-up and published the Final Registration Roll (FRR), among other things prior to the December 26 runoff vote. The 10 October first round of voting passed off peacefully, but the stalemate in the electoral process generated by the challenge of the results whipped up serious tensions in the country.

So the Liberia National Police (LNP) which is heading the national election security taskforce, is not leaving any stone unturned to ensure that there is law and order before, during and after the 26 December runoff. National Police Spokesman Sam Collins told www.newspublictrust.com on Sunday that the LNP has already completed deployment at all 280 voting precincts throughout Liberia’s 15 counties. He said the last area to be deployed was in rural Montserrado County close to the capital, Monrovia. According to him, per diem for officers deployed has been sorted out, but added that if there is any delay it would be because of the Christmas holiday. Read More

Meanwhile, NEC says it has completed the distribution of voting materials and deployment of poll workers throughout the country. Lamin Lighe, the Executive Director of NEC to the state-owned radio Monday morning that the County deployment to faraway places started at the weekend and was completed on Christmas Day. He said the Commission has created sub-storage points in every county. He said the quality of poll workers that have been recruited for Tuesday’s runoff has been improved and that more than one thousand additional queue controllers have now been hired by NEC. Read More

Liberia to Choose Between Soccer Star, VP in Tuesday Runoff, Source: VOA News

Liberians head to the polls Tuesday for a runoff election between a former international soccer star and the vice president to replace Africa's first female head of state. For the first time in more than 70 years, the West African nation founded by freed American slaves will see one democratically elected government hand power to another.

The runoff was contested twice in court, with its original Nov. 7 date delayed after the third-place Liberty Party filed a complaint of fraud that was dismissed. Nearly 2.2 million voters have the choice between 51-year-old former soccer star and senator George Weah and 72-year-old Joseph Boakai, who has served as vice president of the impoverished nation for 12 years.

Liberians showed up in large numbers for the first-round election on 10 October 2017. Economist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is stepping down after two terms in office that brought the country out of back-to-back civil wars and grappled with the Ebola outbreak that killed nearly 5,000 Liberians in 2014-2015.

National Elections Commission lead lawyer Musa Dean told The Associated Press that everything was ready for Tuesday's vote to go ahead, and that a mandate by the Supreme Court for a cleaned-up voter roll to be posted at all 5,390 polling places will be met. Many Liberians turned out over the weekend to check their voter registrations, with some finding it difficult. "We can't be left out," said one, Pinky Frank. "This election is about our future, our children's and their children's future so we have to take it seriously."

Sirleaf initially said she would support her vice president, but amid allegations that she preferred Weah she has backed off publicly supporting either candidate. Weah draws his support from the younger generation. This is his third time running for the presidency, and 60 percent of Liberia's population is under 30.

Weah leads the ticket for a coalition party, the Congress for Democratic Change, with Jewel Taylor-Howard as his vice presidential running mate. She is the ex-wife of imprisoned former warlord and President Charles Taylor. "We don't see how we will lose this election because we are not leaving any stones unturned," party chairman Nathanial McGill said.

The two candidates both saw hardships growing up and have made those experiences part of their campaigns. "Like many of you, I have been a victim of poverty," Weah has said, promising new futures and jobs.

Boakai has promised to make road reconstruction the center of his development drive, saying that "when you have roads, all other things can happen." He also has promised to create 50,000 jobs in the first 150 days. The vice president's Unity Party had filed a complaint with the Supreme Court that the elections commission had prematurely set the runoff date, but the complaint was overruled last week.

The party is still concerned about missteps, chairman Wilmot Paye told the AP. "What we want the world to know is that we are going into this process with reservations," he said. "We will not compromise anything that looks like an attempt to deny the will of the Liberian people."

Liberia election run-off: Ex-footballer up against vice-president, Source: BBC News

Liberians are choosing a new president in a run-off vote between Vice-President Joseph Boakai and former international footballer George Weah. Mr Weah, 51, won the first round, but did not secure the required 50% of the vote for an outright victory. Legal challenges delayed the vote to replace Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's first elected female president. Liberia, which was founded by freed US slaves in the 19th Century, has not had a smooth transfer of power in 73 years. Polls across Liberia opened at 08:00 GMT and will close at 18:00. More than two million people are eligible to cast their ballots.

Mr Boakai, 73, has been Liberia's vice-president for 12 years but does not seem to enjoy the support of his boss, the BBC's Umaru Fofana reports from the capital, Monrovia. The candidate has described himself as being like a limousine idly parked for years in a garage and who is now ready to hit the road.

Mr Weah, the former world footballer of the year, is hoping for a third time lucky. He defeated Ms Johnson-Sirleaf in the first round in 2005 but lost to her in the subsequent run-off. In the following election run-off, in 2011, when he ran as a running mate to the opposition candidate, his coalition boycotted the vote, citing irregularities.

A representative for the opposition Liberty Party, Charles Brumskine, who came third in October's first round, challenged the result, saying it had been marred by "massive fraud and irregularities". But earlier this month the Supreme Court ruled that evidence of fraud was insufficient to merit a re-run of the opening round. The verdict meant that the run-off - which had initially been set for 7 November - could go ahead.

Tuesday was declared a public holiday in Liberia by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf but the Christian-majority country, like most of the rest of the Christian world, celebrated Christmas on Monday. Its chief electoral officer acknowledged that the choice of election day posed a challenge to Liberians.

"We realise that this day is immediately after Christmas Day," said Jerome Korkoya, president of the National Elections Commission, earlier this month. "We call on all registered voters to make that one sacrifice, for the love of our democracy."

However, Ibrahim Al-Bakri Nyei, a Liberian political analyst at London's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), told AFP news agency that turnout was likely to be lower than at the first round because of the date. "It's too close to call," he said. Will the vote be democratic?

Goodluck Jonathan, the former Nigerian president, who is monitoring the election as part of the National Democratic Institute Observer mission, told the BBC he was certain it would be free and fair. 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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