• Fear of Fraud Looms -NEC denies NDI observers, ECOWAS experts access to Data Center, Source: Daily OBSERVER
• Who Replaces Ellen?, Sources: The New Dawn, and The NEWS
• Vice President Boakai: I’ll Accept Elections Results If…, Sources: Daily OBSERVER and FrontPage Africa
• Boakai, Weah Express Confidence of Winning Runoff Election, Source: FrontPage Africa
• Low turnout greets runoff poll, Sources: Daily OBSERVER, FrontPage Africa, and The New Dawn
• Police probe NEC staff, voter, Sources: FrontPage Africa and The New Dawn
• Presiding Officer Admits Pre-marked Ballot at MVTC Polling Precinct, Source: FrontPage Africa
• ECC Releases Findings ….On Run-Off Election Source: The NEWS
• Ellen Establishes Transition Team, Sources: FrontPage Africa, The New Dawn, and The NEWS
• Vote counting underway after presidential runoff in Liberia, Sources: Times Live and Xinhua
• Liberians await presidential election result, Source: Euro News
• Liberian Runoff Could Mark First Peaceful Transition of Power Since 1944, Source: The New York Times

Fear of Fraud Looms -NEC denies NDI observers, ECOWAS experts access to Data Center, Source: Daily OBSERVER

The Daily Observer reports that fears loom about the outcome of Tuesday’s runoff election results given early reports of fraud, the summary dismissal of a key functionary in the National Elections Commission (NEC) data center as well as the NEC’s denial to its data center of access to ECOWAS experts and observers of the National Democratic Institute (NDI).

Reliable sources say no valid reasons have been given by the NEC chairman, Cllr. Jerome Korkoya except for unchallenged assertions that the ECOWAS experts have no further relevance to the electoral commission’s ongoing work. Just why the NEC chairman maintains that the ECOWAS team of experts have no further relevance to the process remains a closely guarded secret known perhaps to only him or to a few. Read more

Who Replaces Ellen?, Sources: The New Dawn, and The NEWS

Liberians on Tuesday went to the polls to elect their next president between Senator George Weah of the main opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and Vice President Joseph Boakai of the ruling Unity Party (UP) to succeed President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf whose second term expires next month.

After the October 10 polls, the National Elections Commission (NEC) announced that Weah and Boakai obtained the highest votes among 20 candidates, thus qualifying them to contest the runoff election.

On Tuesday morning, registered voters were seen in queues across the country to cast their votes for the 24th president of Liberia. Unlike the October 10 polls, the queues were not long. Poll workers of the NEC were seen directing voters to polling places as per their ID numbers to exercise their political franchise. Read more

Vice President Boakai: I’ll Accept Elections Results If…, Sources: Daily OBSERVER and FrontPage Africa

Vice President Joseph Boakai of the ruling Unity Party (UP) says he would only accept the result of the runoff election if it meets all standards deemed credible and transparent. Mr. Boakai made the statement Tuesday morning after casting his vote. Asked whether he now has confidence in the National Elections Commission (NEC) having called for the resignation of the chairman, Cllr. Jerome Korkoya, Vice President Boakai said: “We’re living with it; whether we have or not, we're living with it. We'll work with it, we'll accept the result”. Read more

Boakai, Weah Express Confidence of Winning Runoff Election, Source: FrontPage Africa

Vice President Joseph Boakai, the ruling party’s candidate in Tuesday’s presidential runoff election has expressed confidence that he would win the election. But his contender, Senator George Weah, is equally hopeful of being Liberia’s next president.

While Boakai told reporters Tuesday after he voted that he would accept whatever result as long as it meets the standards, Weah on the other hand, said: “I am not associated with losing. Today, victory is certain and I am going to win. A Boakai cannot win a George Weah. Ellen Johnson [Sirleaf] won because she is an exceptional case, and what happened cannot happen again.” Read more

Low turnout greets runoff poll, Sources: Daily OBSERVER, FrontPage Africa, and The New Dawn

A seemingly general low voters’ turnout mars Tuesday’s runoff presidential election between incumbent Vice President Joseph Boakai of the governing Unity Party (UP) and Senator George Weah of the main opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC). Boakai, 73 and Weah, 51, are vying to succeed President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf who is ending her second and final constitutional term in office. Read more

Police probe NEC staff, voter, Sources: FrontPage Africa and The New Dawn

The Liberia National Police (LNP) says it is investigating a female staff of the National Elections Commission (NEC) and a voter following commotion over a controversy ballot paper. Police spokesperson Sam Collins says an electorate, who went to cast his ballot at a voting precinct in Zubah Town community in Paynesville has admitted to receiving two unmarked ballot papers from a female NEC staff in the precinct. According to Collins, the voter who is being interrogated further confirmed casting the two ballot papers in favor of his candidate, against the electoral law. Read more

Presiding Officer Admits Pre-marked Ballot at MVTC Polling Precinct, Source: FrontPage Africa

Presiding Officer Gerald Fin Boye at MVTC polling place #3 had admitted to FrontPage Africa that a staff of the National Elections Commission (NEC) did hand a pre-marked ballot paper to a voter during the early hours of voting on Tuesday. The alarm was raised by Musa Donzo, supervisor of the ruling Unity Party (UP) at voting Precinct 130223 when a voter was seen with a ballot paper reportedly pre-marked in favor of Senator George Weah of the main opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC). Read more

ECC Releases Findings ….On Run-Off Election Source: The NEWS

The Elections Coordination Committee (ECC) has released its observation findings on the runoff presidential election. In its mid-day statement Tuesday, the ECC said the report focuses on the setup and opening of polling places. The ECC chairman Oscar Bloh told a news confab Tuesday that the runoff process was conducted peacefully and orderly with no report of any major incident but said the ECC observed a slow turnout. Read more

Ellen Establishes Transition Team, Sources: FrontPage Africa, The New Dawn, and The NEWS

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has issued Executive Order No. 91, establishing the Joint Presidential Transition Team. According to an Executive Mansion release, the Executive Order seeks to establish mechanisms for the proper management and orderly transfer of executive power from one democratically elected President to another democratically President.

The composition of the Joint Transitional Team shall include Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Minister of Justice, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL), Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister of Defense, Director of the Executive Protection Service (EPS), and other members to be appointed at the discretion of the incumbent President.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ON LIBERIA

Vote counting underway after presidential runoff in Liberia, Sources: Times Live and Xinhua

Vote counting is underway in polling units across Liberia following a presidential run-off in the country on Tuesday. The counting started at 6 p.m. local time, following the closing of polls in all 5,390 polling units across the West African nation. Local and international election observers have described the process as "generally peaceful and smooth." Compared to the Oct. 10 general elections that witnessed a huge turnout of voters, a low turnout was recorded in the presidential run-off. Read more

Liberians await presidential election result, Source: Euro News

It is expected to be a few days before results are known in a presidential run-off vote in Liberia. Former football champion George Weah is up against Vice-President Joseph Boakai, who is hoping to succeed the outgoing leader Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Both candidates are vowing to fight corruption and improve living standards.

After casting his ballot, Weah told reporters: "I am not associated with losing. Today’s victory is certain and I am going to win. Boakai cannot win over George Weah."

The run-off was delayed for more than a month after Boakai and another candidate alleged fraud, a challenge rejected by Supreme Court judges.

Boakai said: "It is a great day because it is a test for democracy. We went in one time (in the first round); there were 20 of us, now we are reduced to two." Read more

Liberian Runoff Could Mark First Peaceful Transition of Power Since 1944, Source: The New York Times

Liberia has not witnessed a peaceful transition of power since 1944, and the fate of past presidents — since 1971, four of them have either died in office or been sent into exile — is so grim that many Liberians consider the presidential palace to be haunted.

That legacy hung over this West African nation, founded in the early 19th century by freed American slaves, on Tuesday as voters chose a successor to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, whose term ends next month.

In 2005, Mrs. Sirleaf became the first woman to be elected a head of state in Africa. During her 12 years in power, Liberia tried to turn the page on two civil wars that had left this once moderately prosperous country in ruins. She shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 in recognition of her contributions to democracy. Read more

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