• Legal Challenge Should Be in Good Faith, Sources: The INQUIRER and The ANALYST

• Dying Horse – Ellen Targets VP’s Allies, Source: New DEMOCRAT
• UP Wants ‘Compromised’ Kokoya Out, Source: New DEMOCRAT
• D-Day Day: Supreme Court Sets 7 December for Final Ruling In Electoral Fraud Case, Source: FrontPage Africa
• Supreme Court Ruling set for This Week, Source: The INQUIRER
• Sirleaf Teams Up with Clinton – What Is Afoot? Source: The ANALYST
• “Not Opting for Interim Government” – LP’s Lawyers Clarifies; Says “There are Legal Remedies to Address Constitutional Issues,” Source: The ANALYST
• University of Liberia Warn Students against Disrupting Graduation Ceremony, Source: FrontPage Africa
• 14 Health Workers Complete Maternal Training, Source: New DEMOCRAT
• We are here to Serve, AWA Airline assures Liberians, Sources: The INQUIRER and The INQUIRER
• “There is no Fuel Shortage” Says Liberia Petroleum Refinery Company, Sources: The INQUIRER and New Democrat
• Judges’ absence frustrates USD10m Debt Case, Sources: Daily OBSERVER and New Democrat
• “Tech Attracts Investment, promotes MSME” Commerce Minister Addy says, Source: Daily OBSERVER
• TRF trains 13 journalists on Illicit Financial Flows, Tax Haven Reporting, Source: Daily OBSERVER
• Min. Ligh Thanks Pres. Sirleaf, after Being Sacked for “Gross Disrespect and Wicked Act.” Source: New Public Trust

Legal Challenge Should Be in Good Faith, Sources: The INQUIRER and The ANALYST

Addressing a news conference on last Friday at the Headquarters of the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) in Monrovia, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel, Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas lauded the peaceful nature of the 10 October presidential and general elections in Liberia. Dr. Chambas’ comments followed a high-level meeting in Monrovia of Heads of the UN Missions in West Africa, which was chaired by him. 

Chambas said compliance with the rule of law and the due process was essential for strengthening Liberia’s democracy. The  heads of UN Mission in Liberia, Farid Zarif,  Mali  Mahamat Saleh, Senegal, Dr. Chambas and Cote D’ Ivoire, Babacar Cisse  called on Liberia to comply with the  constitutionally mandated date for the inauguration of the new government in  2018.

The objective of the meeting was to provide insights and exchange views on peace and security dynamics in the areas of operations of their respective missions and in the West African region.

Dying Horse – Ellen Targets VP’s Allies, Source: New DEMOCRAT

According to the New DEMOCRAT, departing President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has launched a seemingly open attack on Vice President Joseph Boakai and the ruling Unity Party via the dismissal of the VP’s allies and associates in cabinet. The President is reportedly linked to the main opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) with reports that she finances and supports the party’s presidential candidate Senator George Weah along with her allies and establishment figures including her son, Mr. Robert Sirleaf. Appointed officials who do not support the President’s push for Weah are intimidated, and coerced into joining the Chief Executive, multiple sources within the presidency have said, this paper reports.

The paper further reports that those accounts in the eleventh hours of the President are becoming a reality. At the close of November two cabinet officials were dismissed in two weeks. On 17 November, Deputy Minister of Information for Press and Public Affairs, Jeddi Armah was fired with no stated reason and told by the President in the letter of dismissal that she fires and hires. Atty. Armah supports the Vice President. On 28 December, Labor Minister was fired also with the President stating in his dismissal letter “with the authority granted me by Article 56 (a) of the Constitution of the Republic of Liberia, I here inform you that you are relieved of the position of Minister of Labor, effective immediately.”  “I thank you for the time you served the administration and I know that with your exceptional skills you will achieve what you seek in your future endeavors.”

But on 1 December, a press statement was posted on the presidential website (emansion) that Mr. Lighe dismissal is due to his continued, “gross disrespect and participation in wicked attacks and false accusations leveled against the presidency.” The office of the President has not explained the alleged gross respect and “wicked attacks” neither the claim of false accusations, this creating the appearance of a presidential blackmail against the ousted official. Lighe, beside the Vice President was the most senior party official in government following his election in July 2016 as the Senior National Vice Chairman of the ruling Unity Party.

Other party officials and supporters like former Lofa County Senator Sumo Kupee who resigned his post as Managing Director of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) and Dr. Henrique Tokpah, Defense Minister Brownie Samukai are victims of what appears to be the political cleansing of the Boakai people.

UP Wants ‘Compromised’ Kokoya Out, Source: New DEMOCRAT

The ruling Unity Party (UP) has asked the Supreme Court to render the Chairperson and Executive Director of the National Elections Commission (NEC) unfit to preside over the conduct of future elections on grounds that the pair compromised the 10 October 2017 elections, this paper reports. UP alleges Executive Director Lamin Lighe provided false and misleading testimonies during the elections’ body hearing into its fraud and irregularities complaints while Chairman Jerome Korkoya’s prejudicial comments including classifying the parties’ accusations as “dangerous lies” derailed his independence and integrity. “If the election is not conducted in accordance with law it is illegal,” UP lawyer Cllr. Benedict Sannoh told the court.

“NEC cannot legally justify what it did during the elections. The final vote roll lacks integrity and must be cleaned before the conduct of any election,” Cllr. Sannoh said. Some Supreme Court Justices are pondering the large amount of complaints associated with the 10 October polls could be rooted in gross incompetence on the part of the National Elections Commission.

“You know the Election Commission didn’t like to hear this: I do recall that is in one of my descending opinions I have characterized the actions of the Elections Commission as a display of gross incompetence. You don’t believe that in this case it may have been a further display of incompetence. You don’t believe that in this case it may have been a further display of incompetence rather than an attempt to commit a fraud,” Associate Justice Philip A.Z. Banks said. Chief Justice Francis S. Korkpor said aside from the current 2017 elections which is under dispute, too many elections cases have come to the Supreme Court and those cases have been duly adjudicated where directions were given to NEC but sadly some of recommendations that were proffered have been implemented.

Justice Banks in addition said the law provides that the Commission will maintain a legal department with competent and qualified lawyers who will advise the NEC. On her part, Justice Jamesetta Wolokolie recommends that the Judiciary conducts training for workers of NEC on how to investigate election matters or else there will be future situation where the Commission will take an entire year to complete its investigation.

D-Day Day: Supreme Court Sets 7 December for Final Ruling in Electoral Fraud Case, Source: FrontPage Africa and The ANALYST

The Supreme Court has heard arguments on the Liberty Party (LP) and the ruling Unity Party (UP’s) Bill of Exception, which calls for the reversion of the final ruling of the National Elections Commission (NEC) on the 10 October 2017 Presidential and Legislative elections, this paper reports. Cllr. Charles Brumskine and Oswald Tweh of the LP told the High Court that NEC made reversible errors by not disclosing the Final Registration Roll (FRR) to the polling places as the law provides. Cllr. Tweh further said the elections body had intent of defrauding and holding illegal elections, requesting that the 10 October 2017 elections be annulled and the FRR be cleaned up.

 The LP standard bearer and lead counselor, Mr. Brumskine, argued that the entire election was corrupt and the results should not stand. “NEC couldn’t deny any of our claims and evidence because if they knew they weren’t true, they were going to bring in polling officers from those places we named. The corruption of the election is sickening and it makes you want to cry. The NEC Commissioners are either croaky, incompetent, or they don’t know the law,” the learned Counselor argued.

In their argument, the UP lawyers, Cllrs Lavela Supuwood and Benedict Sannoh, said though there was no complaint earlier filed against the NEC on failure of making public the FRR, it does not mean NEC followed the legal process. Cllr. Sannoh said NEC disregarded Section 22.1, 22.2 and 22.3 of the Election Laws but rather regarded 22.4 something he said was illegally done. “Seven political parties were given individual flash drives containing the FRR. But we found out that many names were duplicated with the same numbers.”  We want the FRR to be sanitized and every voter should have an ID number,” Cllr. Sannoh insisted.

On their part, Cllrs. Musa Dean and Alexander Zoe, the lawyers representing the NEC agreed that there were many challenges, but had taken steps to correct those challenges so that they won’t be experienced in the run-off. They argued that those challenges are not guaranteed for a re-run of the entire elections. Cllr. Dean further argued that everyone, who voted was valid, including the chairman of the ruling Unity Party, Mr. Wilmot Paye, whose name wasn’t on the FRR, yet voted. He confirmed that the numbers attached to voters were similar but with distinction on the age, sex and names. He further stated that the entire process is politically motivated and is not in the interest of the country.

Responding in connection to the admittance of challenges at NEC by its lawyers, Associate Justice Jamesetta Wolokolie termed the investigation following the issuance of prohibition as former. The Associate Justice added: “We need to have some training of NEC or else we will continue to have the same thing over and over here.”

Meanwhile, Chief Justice Francis Korkpor has placed final ruling into the case to this week Thursday, 7 December 2017, adding that the High Court has seven days to hear and rule on the election cases. However, it is totally possible that the Court may also decide to hand down its opinion before next Thursday as it sees fit.

Supreme Court Ruling set for This Week, Source: The INQUIRER

Reports say the Supreme Court is expected to hand down its opinion in the election irregularities and fraud case filed by the ruling Unity Party and the opposition Liberty Party a month ago. The matter has led to the suspension of the runoff presidential elections which was scheduled for November and later put on hold. The court is now set to give a final ruling after months of legal argument, according to the paper.

Sirleaf Teams Up with Clinton – What Is Afoot? Source: The ANALYST

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has departed the country for the United States at the invitation of the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Arkansas, the United States of America, highlighting former President Bill Clinton’s global initiatives and humanitarian efforts.  According to an Executive Mansion release, President Sirleaf will be out of the country from 1-7 December 2017. It is not clear what role the Liberian leader will be playing at the event, but reports say her status as a Nobel Peace Prize holder, her role in the restoration of Liberia after more than a decade of mayhem, and her being the first female African president qualified her to feature in the prestigious event.

Meanwhile, Justice Minister and Attorney-General of Liberia, Cllr. Frederick Cherue will serve as Coordinator of the Cabinet in consultation with the Vice President and with telephone directive from the President.

“Not Opting for Interim Government” – LP’s Lawyers Clarifies; Says “There are Legal Remedies to Address Constitutional Issues,” Source: The ANALYST

Cllr. Powo Hilton, one of the several lawyers representing the opposition Liberty Party (LP) in the ongoing post-election dispute legal battle, has rejected comments in some quarters of the country that the Liberty Party is pushing the current case because it wants an Interim Government in the country, this paper reports.

“The Liberty Party is not optioning for an Interim Government. We are not in this case because we want to have interim government in Liberia,” Cllr. Hilton clarified in an interview with this paper. The LP’s lawyer’s clarification came amidst widespread belief that both LP, the main complainant, and the governing Unity Party (UP) or intervener/co-complainant are intensifying their ongoing legal pursuit against the National Elections Commission (NEC) because they want to see another interim arrangement in Liberia, something Cllr. Hilton dismissed and said his client, the Liberty Party’s legal course should not be misconstrued.

University of Liberia Warn Students against Disrupting Graduation Ceremony, Source: FrontPage Africa

University of Liberia’s 98th graduation ceremony slated for 4 December 2017 seems to be threatened by aggrieved students of the school. Some students are reportedly planning to disrupt the graduation ceremony in order to grasp the attention of the school’s authority to fully open the registration process that was recently opened for two weeks but restricted to certain category of students. Students of the UL Fendall Campus Friday informed affected students of the University to gather in their numbers to engage the administration to fully open what they (students) called partial process. The students have been advocating that the school give all of the students, who have not completed their registration process, some times to complete their process. But the administration, under pressure, announced that the registration process will open for two weeks.

In the administration’s communication circulating on the campuses, of the school, dated 27 November 2017 signed by the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Professor Williams Ezra Allen, stated that “student, who are qualified for the supplementary registration must have made payment of tuition and fees in full or in part no later than 31 October 2017.” The letter also stated that the students include those who are on scholarship, financial aid and deferred payment. The communication excluded students, who started their payment from November 1, 2017 to the 31th of November. 

But the students argued that everyone, who started their registration process, should be accepted and not only students, who started in October, saying the process should fairly be distributed for everyone to benefit. Reacting to the students’ demand in an interview over the weekend, the president of the University of Liberia, Dr. Ophelia Inez Weeks, said there will be no obstruction during the graduation ceremony, as there will be huge security presence on the premise of the university during the ceremony. Read More

14 Health Workers Complete Maternal Training, Source: New DEMOCRAT

According to the New DEMOCRAT, a total of 14 health workers were last Friday certificated after completing nine months Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) – Intermediate COHORT program, which was launched 18 May 2017 at the National Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) by Thomas Price, US Secretary of Department of Human and Health Services.

The training for the first COHORT of FETP intermediate commenced on 10 April 2017 at the National EOC, Monrovia. Participants were made up of 11 County Surveillance Officers and four Nations Officers of the Department of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology of the National Public Health Institute of Liberia. Participants in the first COHORT were also selected based on their geographical location and performance at the pre-admission workshop.

Health Minister Bernice Dahn said she was satisfied with the graduates warning them to be good health practitioners.

We are here to Serve, AWA Airline assures Liberians, Sources: The INQUIRER and The INQUIRER

A Ghanaian-based airline, Africa World Airlines (AWA) has pledged its support and commitment to the people of Liberia as it is expected to begin operations in the country, according to the company’s head of Commercials, Mr. Richard Kyere. He added that his company was happy to invest in Liberia which he stated was the gateway to the sub region and added that the country’s economy was promising.

“There is no Fuel Shortage” Says Liberia Petroleum Refinery Company, Sources: The INQUIRER and New Democrat

Authorities of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC), have expressed concern about reports of a shortage of petroleum product on the Liberian market. The LPRC management however dismissed the report and added that there were over 30,000 metric tons of petroleum products in the country sufficient enough to serve the public for two months. 

Judges’ absence frustrates USD10m Debt Case, Sources: Daily OBSERVER and New Democrat

Reports say employees of the Alliance Motors Company were disappointed Friday when the Judge of the Commercial Court, Richard Klah suspended the hearing into the company’s million dollars debt case it filed against the government. Minutes before the case was due to be heard, the Judge announced that one of the Judges was not present and therefore he would not hear the matter.  The postponement has been described by the company’s employees as “justice delayed and justice denied”.

“Tech Attracts Investment, promotes MSME” Commerce Minister Addy says, Source: Daily OBSERVER

An innovative economy is a dynamic and attractive one, the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Alex Addy said at a ceremony last Thursday to kick-off  this year’s Medium and Small Enterprises (MSME) conference held in Monrovia. He said the Information Communication Technology front can help Liberia to arrest investment and promote micro, small and medium enterprises across the country. The Minister then called on Liberians innovators, MSME stakeholders and policy makers to embrace the conference and exchange ideas and share lessons learned.

TRF trains 13 journalists on Illicit Financial Flows, Tax Haven Reporting, Source: Daily OBSERVER

The Thomson Reuters Foundation (TRF) has organized a three-day media training workshop in Monrovia for journalists to broaden their knowledge in reporting on illicit financial flows in Liberia. A facilitator of the training, Rex Merrifield said the workshop was meant to encourage journalists acquire broader knowledge on the subject matter and how it can be reported.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ON LIBERIA

Min. Ligh Thanks Pres. Sirleaf, after Being Sacked for “Gross Disrespect and Wicked Act.” Source: New Public Trust

The Executive Mansion has announced the sacking of Liberia’s Minister of Labour, Atty. Neto Lighe for “gross disrespect and wicked act” but the dismissed Minister has extended “profound thanks and appreciation to Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for the opportunity extended me” to serve her government. A two-paragraph press statement from the presidency on Friday said: “President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has with immediate effect relieved Labor Minister – Atty. Neto Lighe of his position. His immediate dismissal is due to his continued gross disrespect and participation in wicked attacks and false accusations levied against the presidency.” However, President Sirleaf did not say what kind of wicked act the youthful Cabinet Minister committed.

Dismissed Minister Lighe himself has not publically commented on the reason (s) for his dismissal, but some local media reports have linked it to his outspoken criticisms of  President Sirleaf, who is the ruling Unity Party (UP) Standard Bearer Emeritus as he is closely aligned to the UP’s current Standard Bearer Vice President Joseph Boakai. The Labour Minister is the second official of the Sirleaf regime to be sacked in the last several days. Recently, Deputy Information Minister Atty Jeddi Armah was dismissed for what was believed to be his strong link to the Boakai. But Assistant Information Minister Wellington Geevon-Smith later denied the claim.

Without giving any clue to why he was fired, on Friday the sacked Labour Ministry boss posted this on his Facebook page: “7 years ago, through a presidential appointment, I entered mainstream government as an Assistant Minister at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. 2 years later, I was promoted to the position of Deputy Minister and then Minister of Labour.” “There’s no singular honor than serving your country and I’m proud of the opportunity extended me to serve my country. Today, 7 years after, my service in government has come to an end. “I want to use this occasion, on behalf of my family, extend my profound thanks and appreciation to Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf for the opportunity extended me. To all my colleagues in government and employees at the Ministry of Labour, thanks for your cooperation and service during my stay. It is now time to move on.”

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.