• NEC warns political parties on filing complaints, Source: The INQUIRER
• NEC begins hearing LP, others complaints, Source: The INQUIRER

• Urey warns Weah, Source: The New Dawn
• Nimba Votes Are Not For Sale’ – Cllr. Tiawon Gongloe, Sources: FrontPage Africa, New DEMOCRAT, and The INQUIRER
• LP candidate pledges support to Weah, Source: The INQUIRER
• First round elections had no major security breach, Source: The New Dawn
• Police breaks silence on officers’ payment, apologizes for delay, Sources: The ANALYST and The INQUIRER
• Ellen receives newly accredited ambassadors, Source: The New Dawn
• Ambassador Conteh consoles Nigeria, Sources: INSIGHT, New DEMOCRAT, and The New Dawn
• The Rhetoric of Change in Liberia’s 2017 Elections, Source: The Bush Chicken

NEC warns political parties on filing complaints, Source: The INQUIRER

The National Elections Commission (NEC) has told political parties to gather all the cogent pieces of evidence to support their claims when filing a complaint to the commission. At a press briefing at the NEC headquarters in the Monrovia suburb of Sinkor, NEC chairman Jerome Korkoya also urged party’s officials to act responsibly and refrain from making threats against the NEC. “If there is a complaint, make sure it is understood, the agents should make that complaint at polling place level and collect the evidence required for a thorough complaint to be submitted,” Korkoya said. Meanwhile, the NEC boss said the commission has called the attention of the Liberia National Police (LNP) to threatening comments on the social media coming from individuals.

NEC begins hearing LP, others complaints, Source: The INQUIRER

The National Elections Commission (NEC) has begun looking into complaints the opposition Liberty Party (LP) filed to the NEC Board of Commissioners following the 0ctober 7 presidential and legislative elections, the chairman of the commission, Jerome Korkoya has disclosed. LP’s complaint called for a rerun of the elections and suspension of the runoff due on 7 November. Another complaint from the All Liberian Party (ALP) challenging the conduct of the elections has also being looked into, Korkoya said.

Urey warns Weah, Source: The New Dawn

The standard bearer of the opposition All Liberia Party (ALP), Benoni Urey has called on standard bearer of the main Coalition for Democratic Coalition (CDC), Senator George Weah to warn his supporters to refrain from violence. Mr. Urey made the call on Wednesday in Monrovia during a press conference.

He stressed that Senator Weah as a young man should speak out against violence and keep his supporters in check. The sharp warning comes after a radio talk show host and supporter of the ALP leader, Henry Costa was allegedly attacked in Monrovia this week for criticizing the CDC leader.

The opposition politician also said that Senator Weah is treading a very dangerous path with those associating with him. Urey says he does not know Senator Weah to be a violent person, adding that Liberia needs peace and not violence.

Nimba Votes Are Not For Sale’ – Cllr. Tiawon Gongloe, Sources: FrontPage Africa, New DEMOCRAT, and The INQUIRER

A renowned human rights lawyer and eminent son of Nimba County has warned Senator Prince Johnson of the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MRD) that votes from the county are not marketable or transferable to the main opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) that he (Johnson) has pledged support to in the 7 November runoff, the media reports.

Cllr. Tiawon Gongloe expressed surprise at Senator Johnson’s decision to pledge support to the CDC, which he claimed was made without a broad consultation with the people of Nimba.  He said the people of Nimba did vote for Senator Johnson as their son, brother, and fellow Nimbian and that those votes cannot be sold at any market value. Despite Johnson’s support to Weah, Cllr. Gongloe stated that the CDC standard bearer will not receive any vote in Nimba because the people are not happy with the decision of their Senator and that Johnson’s announcement goes contrary to what the Nimba lawmaker has been saying about the CDC and Senator George Weah that if the CDC wins the election there will be war.

Gongloe who last week pledged support to the presidential bid of Vice President Joseph Boakai, claimed that the ruling Unity Party standard bearer was the best candidate in the race and that opposing Weah’s presidential bid is based on the fact that the CDC first partisan has not prepared himself to serve as president of this post-conflict country.

LP candidate pledges support to Weah, Source: The INQUIRER

A representative candidate of the Liberty Party (LP) in Maryland County, Abraham Jackson has given his support to the main opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) in the runoff election between the coalition and the ruling Unity Party (UP). Speaking to The Inquirer, Mr. Jackson said he believes in the platform of the CDC and called on his supporters to vote the CDC in the runoff election.

First round elections had no major security breach, Source: The New Dawn

Liberia's National Elections Security Task Force says there was no major security breach in the first round of the 10 October elections.

Addressing a news conference on Thursday in Monrovia, Taskforce chairperson and Inspector General of Police (IGP), Gregory Coleman said the general security atmosphere of the just-ended first round of the elections went well without any major security breach.

IG Coleman expressed thanks to voters for such a polite behavior exhibited on 10 October, when they turned out to exercise their constitutional franchise. He says it is commendable, and the taskforce encourages all voters to exercise such high level of restraint during the upcoming runoff elections on 7 November.

The taskforce is comprised of national security institutions including the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), Liberia National Police (LNP), Liberia National Fire Service (LNFS), Liberia Immigration Service (LIS), and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), among others. Read more

Police breaks silence on officers’ payment, apologizes for delay, Sources: The ANALYST and The INQUIRER

Speaking Thursday at a press conference in Monrovia, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Gregory Coleman apologized for the delay in remitting allowances to police officers providing security to polling centers around the country. IG Coleman said it was due to minor challenges faced by personnel of the National Elections Security Task Force to remit the daily sustainability allowance. However, IGP noted that payment has begun at various banks in the country.

Ellen receives newly accredited ambassadors, Source: The New Dawn

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has received the letters of credence of newly accredited ambassadors to Liberia, urging them to continue to strengthen the relationships between Liberia and their various states.

On Thursday, the Ambassador of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta, Mrs. Anna O'huadhaigh Bsaibes and Nigeria Ambassador James Dimka presented their letters.

Receiving Ambassador Bsaibes Thursday, President Sirleaf said the Malta envoy is not really a stranger because she has been with "us" all these years. She says building the relationship further between Liberia and Malta is something that is very much looked forward to, recognizing the help of Malta to Liberia in a very critical period here. Read more

Ambassador Conteh consoles Nigeria, Sources: INSIGHT, New DEMOCRAT, and The New Dawn

Liberia’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Al-Hassan Conteh says the late ECOWAS force commander, Lieutenant General Victor Samuel Leonard Malu, risked everything, including his life, for Liberia’s peace.

A press release from the Liberian Embassy in Abuja says Ambassador Conteh made the comment when he, on behalf of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf extended Liberia’s heartfelt condolences on the sad passing of the late Nigerian army general. General Malu passed on 9 October 2017 in the United Kingdom. “General Malu was a decorated soldier who will be remembered in Liberia for risking everything, including his personal life, in the search for peace in Liberia”, Ambassador Conteh remarked.

According to the press release, Ambassador Conteh gave the tribute on Wednesday during wake-keeping over the remains of the General at the Command Officers’ Mess in Asokoro, Abuja. Read more

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ON LIBERIA

The Rhetoric of Change in Liberia’s 2017 Elections, Source: The Bush Chicken

The rhetoric of change is a powerful political tool. In the hands of skillful politicians and their surrogates, it can move societies in uncertain directions. And this is not an overstatement. For many the world over, the 2008 election of Barack Obama as the first black president of the United States, based upon his ‘change’ message of ‘Yes We Can!’ offers ample proof.

Perhaps sensing the power of this tool, the Coalition for Democratic Change in Liberia’s ongoing presidential elections has added another ‘change’ word to its numerous political mantras.

‘Change for Hope’ has become the party’s newest campaign slogan, not that many voters even understand what it really means, nor has the CDC offered any concrete explanation. Liberians are nevertheless moving on to the second round of voting on November 7. For such, it is a state of affairs of elections in Liberia and for Africa at large at a chance to witness democratic and peaceful change.

As a concept, change inspires a certain feel-good sentiment of progress and advancement. But too often the reality is different. And little do we understand the complexity of the phenomenon, and why human beings are often reticent about it. Read more

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