30 October 2017

LIBERIA MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

Chamber Justice Cites NEC Chairman, Source: The INQUIRER

As the Justice-in-Chamber, Kabineh Ja’neh received Writ of Prohibition from the Liberty Party (LP) on Friday requesting the Supreme Court to cancel the results of the 10 October elections, the Justice-in-Chamber has cited the chairman of the National Elections Commission (NEC) to appear and answer to the allegation contained in the lawsuit. Cllr. Jerome Korkoya is expected to appear today Monday for a conference regarding a petition filed by the LP presidential and vice presidential candidates, and all representative candidates. The LP cites a violation of the constitution and elections law, fraudulent acts and gross irregularities during the first round of the 10 October elections.

Things fall apart –Diplomatic community considers statement, Source: The New Dawn

The New Dawn reports that things are gradually falling apart just days to the 7 November presidential runoff between the ruling Unity Party (UP) and the main opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), as the governing party has joined opposition parties calling for a rerun of the October 10 polls. But this has raised diplomatic community concerns.

UP officials Sunday announced that the party was affirming its solidarity with the opposition Liberty Party (LP) and the All Liberian Party (ALP), both of which have cited fraud and irregularities during the October 10 elections and are calling for a rerun of the polls. UP chairman Wilmot Paye made several claims among which he accuses the National Elections Commission (NEC) and President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of denying Liberians their rightful votes. Mr. Paye continued: “The National Elections Commission cannot conduct any free, fair and transparent presidential election runoff in the wake of increasing and disturbing reports of alleged massive fraud.”

Both local and international observers described the October 10 polls as being peaceful but cited few irregularities which they said could be improved upon in subsequent elections.

Sources told The New Dawn on Sunday that members of the diplomatic community are worried over insightful statement coming from the ruling party chairman. The source who spoke on condition of anonymity said the UN, AU, and ECOWAS officials find the UP statement disturbing and are contemplating on issuing a joint statement today Monday.

According to the source, the diplomatic officials have made contact with both the standard bearer of the ruling party, Vice President Joseph Boakai and Mr. Paye. But Mr. Boakai said he was not aware of the statement, while Mr. Paye, the source pointed out that his statement was taken out of context.

Meanwhile, The New Dawn says it has also gathered that Justice Ministry officials had also made contact with the UP chairman requesting clarity on his statement, which has been view as insightful ahead of the runoff. Read more

CDC warns of serious consequences if…. Source: INSIGHT

The national chairman of the main opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), Nathaniel McGill says there would be consequences if anyone tries to revert the democratic will of the people. Mr. McGill made the comment at the weekend in Ganta, Nimba County. It was in response to report that the Liberty Party has petitioned the Supreme Court to halt the runoff election between the CDC and the ruling Unity Party (UP) because of reported irregularities in the first round of the poll.

We Reject Rerun Completely, CDC Says, As Weah & Johnson Comb Nimba, Source: The ANALYST

The main opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), one of the parties to the 7 November presidential runoff has barked at reports of a writ of prohibition filed at the Supreme Court by the opposition Liberty Party (LP). The CDC warns that it will not accept any rerun ruling from the high court and would not also participate in the scheduled runoff election with the governing Unity Party (UP) if the high court ignores its caveat, The Analyst reports.

Speaking in Ganta in Nimba County over the weekend, CDC chairman, Nathaniel McGill vowed: “There will be no rerun in this country; we are prepared and ready for the runoff election.” Predicating the outcome of the repercussions that such ruling may have on the country and its immediate future, Mr. McGill also advised the Supreme Court: “We want to inform the Liberian people and the world at large that the Supreme Court of Liberia will be held responsible for any trouble that will break out in this country.”

The CDC chairman also dismissed claims by the LP that the elections were rigged, saying, “If there’s anything to claim, I think CDC should be claiming victory because we got the highest votes. What Liberty Party is claiming cannot hold water. We are ready for the runoff, and the Liberia people are also willing to go to the runoff and put these elections behind them.”

We’ll protect our votes –Senator Weah, Source: The New Dawn

The standard bearer of the main opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), Senator George Weah is rallying supporters, friends, sympathizers, and partisans to get ready to protect their votes at the 7 November presidential runoff election.

Speaking in Ganta, Nimba County, where he had gone, accompanied by Senator Prince Johnson of the Movement for Democracy and reconstruction (MDR) to be introduced to the electorates in the county as the best candidate in the runoff, Senator Weah said CDC partisans are prepared to take charge of their votes but did not say how.

He notes that Liberians are yearning for change and nothing can stop change from happening now, saying, “If the election were to go second, third and fourth round, that change will certainly come, nothing can stop it with God above, that change will come and through us.”

Weah explains that his travel from Monrovia to Ganta with people lined-up along the roadside shows that Liberians want a change, as they are tired with the Unity Party-led government. Read more

To hell with them –Prince Johnson responds to critics, Source: The New Dawn

The standard bearer of the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR), Senator Prince Johnson has told his critics to go to hell and inform the devil he sends them for criticizing his recent endorsement of the candidacy of Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) standard bearer George Weah against Vice President Joseph Boakai of the governing Unity Party (UP) in the 7 November runoff election.

“Those that are calling negative names because I support Senator Weah for the presidency let them go to hell and tell the devil I sent them. I’m a minister of the gospel and I was not only born to be President of Liberia at this time. For those that believe in me including the chiefs, traditional leaders, elders, youth, and women groups, I think this is the time for Nimba County to produce a president and that person is Senator Weah,” Senator Johnson maintains.

But human rights lawyer Tiawon Gongloe, a native of Nimba County, says the votes of Nimba are non-transferable, noting that Senator Johnson did not consult with the people of the county before declaring support for the CDC standard bearer in Monrovia last Thursday. “Weah cannot get the votes expected from the Nimba people”, Gongloe said. The human rights lawyer argues that Senator Weah is unfit for the presidency and Liberia does not want a leader who will be tutored on the job. Read more

We’ll win Nimba without Prince Johnson support- UP assures, Source: New DEMOCRAT

The ruling Unity Party (UP) has assured that it would win the 7 November runoff election without the support of Senator Prince Johnson of the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction. “Johnson is not a big blow to the UP,” The UP national campaign chairman, Augustine Ngafuan said Friday in Monrovia. “We are going to Nimba and will win in a big way,” he said. According to Ngafuan, the UP standard bearer, Vice President Joseph Boakai has a good relationship with the vote-rich county and that the people will vote him.

Representative Moye hopeful of UP win in runoff poll, Source: INSIGHT

Bong County Representative, Price Moye says he is optimistic of the ruling Unity Party (UP) winning the runoff election when he spoke to a local radio station in Gbarnga, Bong County recently. Mr. Moye added that everything is being done to ensure that Bong County will vote overwhelmingly for the governing party. The UP partisan admitted that a lot of things went wrong during the 10 October elections and such he said has been corrected.

Ex-Nigerian president coming for runoff elections, Source: New DEMOCRAT

Former Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan is expected in Liberia soon to witness the runoff election between the main opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and the ruling Unity Party (UP), due 7 November, according to the New Democrat. Reports say Mr. Jonathan will be joined by other former presidents and statesmen who would explore how the continent’s economic growth could be enhanced through functional education.

ULAA speaks on several election issues, Source: The New Dawn

The head of a four-member Union of Liberian Association in Americas (ULAA) election observer mission to Liberia, Minerva Grant has spoken on several issues associated with the first round of the presidential and legislative elections held 10 October. Ms. Grant speaking at a news conference in the Monrovia suburb of Sinkor over the weekend emphasized the need for the National Election Commission (NEC) to place more emphasis on voters’ awareness to ensure that the high level of invalid votes witnessed in the first round is not repeated in the runoff.

She also wants the two parties qualified for the runoff - the main opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and the ruling Unity Party (UP) to take the forefront of a vigorous voters awareness exercise across the country because they need the votes.

The head of the ULAA elections observer team notes that it is the responsibility of the CDC and the ruling party to sufficiently train their poll watchers to ensure that they pay key attention to ballot counting process which she says is the most crucial moment in the election. Read more

ORWOCH Prepares Women for 2023 Elections, Source: FrontPage Africa

As part of efforts to ensure increased female participation in politics, a local NGO Organization for Women and Children (ORWOCH) Sunday held a roundtable with women groups and representative candidates who did not win the October 10 presidential and legislative polls.

The roundtable held at ORWOCH’s headquarters in Monrovia was meant to engage female candidates that contested from various districts across the country to share their experiences and challenges which would be used to position them in the 2023 elections.

Making remarks ORWOCH executive director Mmonbeydo Joah Harrell said even though majority of women did not win representative seats, they have realized and gained more knowledge which they were lacking, and the organization is seeking to implement recommendations that will see women more determined ahead of the next elections. Read more

UL Student Collapses During Struggle to Meet Registration Deadline, Source: FrontPage Africa

At least one female student fell unconscious in the densely packed hall on the Fendell Campus of the University of Liberia (UL) where thousands of students had gathered, scrambling to meet registration deadline.

The UL, like other universities in the country, has not improved its registration processes. Students have to stand in long queues for hours just to complete one process before running to join another long queue to get through with another process. There are at least five very long queues that students have to stand in order to have registration complete. In these rows, people perspire profusely. 

This semester’s registration closure was October 28th but disenchanted students, who felt the institution’s administration was being unfair and inhumane to them, protested the closure by disturbing ongoing classes last Monday.

Their action prompted the leadership of the University of Liberia Student Union (ULSU) to negotiate an extension with the administration. The three-day extension seems not to be very favorable for the thousands of students, who are yet to register.

While fighting to meet the deadline, over the weekend, a female student collapsed after she has stood in the queue for hours. Read more

‘Criminal Activities’ on the Rise on Frog Island, Source: Daily OBSERVER

Residents of the communities on Frog Island in the 72nd vicinity on Somali Drive in Paynesville are reportedly being threatened by a rise in criminal activities including constant harassment from suspected criminals.

A recent Daily Observer investigation has established that some victims of the alleged criminal activities want police officers to come to their rescue because they are being frequently harassed, mostly at odd hours of the night, to the extent that the situation is becoming alarming.

The community youth chairman, Bobby Tobey, said some of the suspected criminals have reportedly resorted to hijacking peaceful residents almost every day. In a recent incident, Tobey said a lady with her little daughter were allegedly attacked by the suspected robbers when they were returning home after selling cold water, and their personal belongings including cell phones and cash were forcibly taken away from them. Read more

AYWDN, partners complete draft bill to repeal NCD act, Source: INSIGHT

Reports said the African Youth with Disabilities Network (AYWDN) Liberia Chapter in collaboration with the National Commission on Disabilities (NCD) and others completed the compilation of a draft bill to repeal the existing act that created the NCD. The drafters added that several rights of people living with disabilities were left out of the NCD Act which should form a major part of the Liberian national document. The draft bill has in it a call for free education for all people with disabilities and a reserved seat for them on public transport among others.

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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