• NEC to rerun elections in two Nimba districts due to fraud and discrepancies, Sources: Daily OBSERVER  and New DEMOCRAT

• Rights Group Demands Elections Chief Resignation amid Reports of Irregularities, Source: FrontPage Africa
• Infighting Downfall – Defeated Bong Candidates Likely to Rally for CDC, Source: FrontPage Africa
• Boakai assures supporters, Source: New DEMOCRAT
• Votes from our stronghold not realistic, Source:  New DEMOCRAT
• WAEON Hails Peaceful Polling Process, Sources: The ANALYST and The INQUIRER
• Women Concerned about Amended Rape Law, Source: The INQUIRER
• Agriculture Ministry, FAO to Celebrate World Food Day in Monrovia, Sources: INSIGHT and FrontPage Africa

LIBERIA MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

NEC to rerun elections in two Nimba districts due to fraud and discrepancies, Sources: Daily OBSERVER and New DEMOCRAT

The National Elections Commission (NEC) has ordered a re-run of the 10 October representative election in Nimba County on tomorrow, Tuesday. NEC chairman, Jerome Korkoya said it ordered the re-election in five of the polling stations in the county because of fraud and discrepancies. The papers said the elections magistrate of Upper Nimba, Princeton Monmiah reported that a presiding officer of one of the centers in Dulay town in Districts #3 and 4 was reportedly caught with extra ballot papers marked in favor of one of the candidates, something that caused polling to have been disrupted there.

Rights Group Demands Elections Chief Resignation amid Reports of Irregularities, Source: FrontPage Africa

This paper reports that a local human rights group, Campaigners for Change International (CfCI) has called for the resignation of the chairman of the National Elections Commission (NEC), Jerome Korkoya due to reports of irregularities and alleged fraud that are continually being heard and displayed in the announcement of the results by the NEC of the 10 October presidential and legislative elections.

According to CfCI national director, Vandalark Patricks, “such discrepancies that have started to show up, coupled with the NEC boss’ initial association with the ruling Unity Party (he contested on UP ticket in 2011 and lost), we are demanding that Cllr. Korkoya steps down and give peace a change.” Mr. Patricks argued that the presence of Cllr. Korkoya on the Commission could plunge Liberia into chaos. In his comments were posted on his social media page last Saturday.

Infighting Downfall – Defeated Bong Candidates Likely to Rally for CDC, Source: FrontPage Africa

The paper reports that the presidential hope of Vice President Joseph Boakai and the ruling Unity Party (UP) is hanging on a thread as his hope is resting upon the votes from mainly his native Lofa, Nimba, and Bong counties to force a runoff, something, he and his party are now praying to see.

According to FrontPage Africa, Mr. Boakai is performing poorly in nearly all counties with the exception of Bong, Lofa, and Nimba, and if should there be a possible runoff, his support from these three counties will be crucial to his election victory if he should withstand the massive votes coming to Senator George Weah and the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) from the southeastern part of the country.

Combined votes from the three counties, according to political observers, is a good support based for Boakai but danger is now lurking as FrontPage Africa has gathered that some defeated candidates during Tuesday’s polls are feeling betrayed by in-house fighting in the Boakai camp in the county, which they said contributed to their defeat.

Boakai assures supporters, Source: New DEMOCRAT

In an interview with reporters in Monrovia recently, Vice President Joseph Boakai of the ruling Unity Party (UP) says nothing will stop his victory in the presidential election having said he would win the first round of the election. But polling results so far showed that a second round is possible. “I went into the election to win and I don’t settle for the second round,” Boakai said.

Votes from our stronghold not realistic, Source:  New DEMOCRAT

The National Elections Commission (NEC) says it has received a complaint from the All Liberian Party (ALP) in which it claimed polling results announced by the NEC from ALP’s stronghold of Bomi, Margibi, Montserrado, and Nimba counties were unrealistic. Speaking to journalists Saturday at the commission’s headquarters in Monrovia, NEC chairman, Jerome Korkoya said the ALP presidential candidate, Mr. Benoni Urey did not mention irregularities or fraud in the complaint but only stated that his party was popular in the four counties. The complaint, Korkoya said has been forwarded to its hearing officers for investigation.

WAEON Hails Peaceful Polling Process, Sources: The ANALYST and The INQUIRER

The West Africa Election Observation Network (WAEON) has commended Liberians for a peaceful polling day process for the election of a president and members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, 10 October. WAEON said the polling day was smooth without any threats to the peace and security of Liberia in spite of few lapses experienced during the election that largely bordered on voters finding it difficult to locate their polling places within voting precincts, while  others not finding their names on the voters list, as well long queues at voting precincts.

WAEON wants Liberians to continue to exercise patience even as tallying of results is nearing its end in some magisterial areas. It said the entire West Africa sub-region is rallying solidly behind Liberia in expectation of the country attaining three successively organized elections.

Women Concerned about Amended Rape Law, Source: The INQUIRER

The Gender Ministry and UN Women are concerned by the news of the amendment of the 2006 Rape Law that protects women and girls from sexual violence perpetrated during and after the Liberian civil crisis. Recently, the Senate among other proposed amendments decided that perpetrators of sexual violence/rape should be entitled to bail. Since reports of the amended law by the Senate, there have been concerns by many women groups and other CSOs, which make the crime bailable.

In a joint press statement issued recently, the women said, “We believe that this amendment if passed into law will make futile all efforts to fight rape and sexual and gender-based violence in Liberia.” They said rather than strengthening the existing progressive policy and legal mechanism that aims to eliminate the marginalization of women and girls by 2020, the proposed amendments represent a dangerous regression towards achieving tangible results in implementing the national strategy for combating SGBV.

Agriculture Ministry, FAO to Celebrate World Food Day in Monrovia, Sources: INSIGHT and FrontPage Africa

The Agriculture Ministry, FAO, WFP, and other strategic partners will on today Monday, 16 October celebrate World Food Day in Monrovia under the theme: “Change the future of migration. Invest in food security and rural development.” The celebration will be climaxed with a press conference and a stakeholder’s dialogue at the Agriculture Ministry’s Project Management Unit in Fendell, Montserrado County, a release said. Several dignitaries from the UN, the government, and other international partners are expected to grace the occasion.