1 December 2017

LIBERIA MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

Run-off or Re-run? … Supreme Court Hears Argument Today, Source: The NEWS

The Supreme Court of Liberia will today, 1 December 2017 hear argument into an appeal filed by Liberty Party and Unity Party against the recent decision of the Board of Commissioners at the National Elections Commission (NEC). The two political parties Monday filed an appeal to the Supreme Court after NEC Board of Commissioners upheld the Hearing Officer’s ruling denying Liberty Party and Unity Party’s request for a rerun of the October 10, 2017 polls.

Liberty Party and Unity Party had complained that there were massive irregularities and fraud during the October 10 elections, for which they requested the electoral body to have a rerun of the election, a request that was rejected by NEC Hearing Officer and upheld by the Board of Commissioners. However, Liberty Party and Unity Party took exception to the ruling and filed an appeal to the Supreme Court. The two political parties accused the electoral body of violating the Liberian Constitution and Election law. Read More

National Elections Commission Wants Supreme Court Dismiss Electoral Fraud Case, Source: FrontPage Africa

Lawyers representing the National Elections Commission (NEC) have filed a motion for dismissal of the electoral fraud case currently before the Supreme Court for review and final ruling. The NEC motion for dismissal is predicated upon the inclusion of all representative candidates as party to the case, but failed to make the appropriate payment for representative contestants before hearing election complaints.

According to the NEC, there are 67 candidates of the Liberty Party and the cost of paying for each of them would amount to USD134,000. But the Commission noted that only USD5,000 has been paid by the Liberty Party (LP) with respect to the appeal by Charles Brumskine and Harrison Karnwea, Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates at the 10 October 2017 elections. 

The National Elections Commission noted that from the inception of the proceedings, beginning with the complaint, up to the announcement of appeal from the Final Ruling/Judgment of the Board of Commissioners to Supreme Court, co-complainants: "all representative candidates of Liberty Party" have always been parties. The NEC argued that assuming without admitting, that "all representative candidates of Liberty Party" were wrongly joined or miss-joined, they remain parties until they are dropped by Motion of any party or on the initiative of the Court.

 “Movant says no amount has been paid for "all representative candidates of Liberty Party". 

"Like an appeal bond, the amount paid is grossly inadequate to cover the appeal; thus the entire recognizance, as to 1st Appellants, is a fit and proper subject for dismissal,” the motion noted.

NEC replies Liberty Party, Source: The New Dawn

The National Elections Commission (NEC) has filed its response before the Supreme Court of Liberia against claims made in an appeal filed by opposition Liberty Party (LP), saying LP and ruling Unity Party (UP's) 23 witnesses' testimonies "woefully failed to sustain the burden of proof" during hearing at the NEC. It is not established yet whether the UP has filed any appeal with the Supreme Court after the NEC ruled against it and LP in alleged election fraud and irregularities case in challenge to the outcome of the 10 October polls, but the LP says NEC's Board of Commissioners committed reversible error when it failed to take into consideration witness testimony that NEC staff were overwhelmed and challenged on elections day.

But the NEC replies that its witness Lamin Lighe refuted allegations that some polling places were changed without notice, further claiming that no new names were added to the Voters' Roll after it was produced, published and given to political parties. Concerning LP's claims that there were no serial numbers on the ballots, the NEC says its witness Lighe produced unused ballot papers for both presidential and representatives in the 10 October elections which allegedly confirmed that there is a serial number on the stub of each of the ballot papers.

 

NEC says the Presiding Officer in Nimba District #3 who was caught attempting to stuff pre - marked ballots, "it was merely an attempt which was immediately detected" and the culprit, Josephus Cooper arrested. "Witness Lighe further testified that the votes at that Polling Place, namely Polling Place Number One (1), were quarantined and a re-run conducted," the NEC says, and further notes that the ballot papers discovered in an outside bathroom in Grand County County District #2 were "Know Your Candidates" educational posters. Read More

Green Cities Launches Urban Recycling Project as UNMIL Director of Mission Support Urges Community, Source: FrontPage Africa

This paper reports that in an effort to ensure clean environment, income and sustainability, Green Cities Incorporated, a youth-based social enterprise operating in the solid waste sector of Liberia, has launched the urban recycling project in Monrovia. The project is aimed at bringing together 10 slum communities in Monrovia, training community residents on waste collection, management and how to make the environment clean, safe and at same time ensure income generation.

Giving an overview of the project, the Executive Director of Green Cities Inc., James Mulbah, said the project is geared toward achieving a clean environment, job creation and empowerment for the young people. The three-month project launched in Buzzi Quarter along the UN Drive in Monrovia, kicked off with training, which targeting 100 youth from 10 communities between the ages 18-35 years. According to Mulbah, the community leaderships will take ownership of the project along with the direct beneficiaries and the indirect beneficiaries. He said the 10 communities will be trained in waste collection, management and how they can generate income from the wastes they collect from their communities.

On his part, United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) Director of Mission Support, David Peklins said clean environment is a best place to live. Mr. Peklins urged the participants and beneficiaries to attach importance to the waste collection and management because it generates income and better livelihood. “This can grow to even be bigger; this can create a better livelihood and environment. Take this project to your heart because this is profitable and sustainable,” Peklins said. Read More

Education Ministry Welcomes Politicians Payment of Student WASSCE Fees, Source: FrontPage Africa and The New Dawn

The Ministry of Education (MoE) says it welcome organization willing to assist in relieving the burden of West Africa Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) fees from students’ families but warned that the correct process for doing so is to coordinate with the West African Examination Council (WAEC), which administers the exam. According to MOE’s release, up to date, the Ministry is not aware of an agreement between any entity and the WAEC to do so.

About the Senior Certificate Exams the Liberia Senior High School Certificate Examination (LSHSCE) was introduced in 1988 as a means of preparing Liberia to join the other four West African Examinations Council (WAEC) countries in 1996 to administer a common examination, WASSCE. Unfortunately, Liberia could not participate in WASSCE in 1996 due to the civil war.

In a release the M0E says there has been no change in who pays for the senior high exam. According to the MOE it has previously only subsidized the Liberia Junior High School Certificate Examination (LJHSCE) fees, and it continues to do so. The Ministry However said the cost of the Liberia Senior High School Certificate Examination (LSHSCE) had always been undertaken by families of students. Read More

Liberia Observes World AIDS Day, Source: The NEWS

The National AIDS Commission (NAC) in collaboration with National AIDS/STIs Control Program (NACP) of the Ministry of Health and partners will join the World today to commemorate this year’s World AIDS Day. This year’s observance will take place in Kakata, Margibi County, under the Global Theme: “The Right to Health and a National Theme, Making Liberia HIV Free”, this paper reports. World AIDS Day (WAD) is held on 1 December every year, and is about increasing awareness, fighting stigma, improving education, mobilizing resources and raising funds for the global response to HIV and AIDS.

 In Liberia, an estimated 43,000 people are said to be living with the virus, with government and international partners making effort to provide treatment for them. Out of this number, 24,000 are women, 15,000 men and 4,000 children, with an annual death of 2,800.

Today’s event according to the National AIDS Commission will be occasioned by panel discussions by young people and remarks on how the country will ensure an AIDS free society. According to the Commission, live voluntarily HIV counseling and testing to afford Liberians the opportunity to know their status will be a center of attraction during the program.

Liberia is among the rest of the world targeting the implementation of the global campaign, 90 90 90 to reduce the impact of HIV by 2030. The goal details that by 2030, 90 percent of people living with HIV will know their HIV status; 90 percent of people who know their HIV status get on lifesaving treatment; and 90 percent of those on treatment will have a suppressed viral load.

China Pledges More Support to Liberian Police Capacity Building, Sources: FrontPage Africa and The New Dawn

The Government of the People’s Republic of China through its Ministry of Public Security has pledged its continued assistance to the Liberia National Police (LNP) in providing professional Police service to the people of Liberia, adding “China wants the LNP to continue its services also in protecting Chinese investment and citizens in Liberia.”

Making the commitment at the LNP headquarters in Monrovia, Thursday, 30 November China’s Deputy Inspector General for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Public Security, Ll Ll informed LNP Inspector General Gregory Coleman that the Chinese government will continue to assist with training of the LNP. According to her, these trainings would place emphasis on Form Police Unit (FPU), promising international training opportunities for officers of the Liberia National Police to China. Madam LI LI said following the departure of the Chinese FPU from the United Nations Mission in Liberia early next year, the Ministry of Public Security will send a special team of trainers to Liberia to continue with the training of the Liberian Form Police Unit.

She expressed delight over the level of cooperation between the LNP and the Chinese FPU, indicating that the Ministry of Public Security will remain engaged in building the capacity of the Liberian National Police.

In response, the Inspector General of Police, Col. Gregory Coleman, expressed gratitude to the Government and people of China for the level of contributions, they continue to make to the Liberia National Police, and described the Chinese as a reliable partner. Read More

Senate Summons Agencies over Economy, Source: The New Dawn

The Plenary of the Liberian Senate has summoned key government agencies to give full report on the status of the state’s economy as the economy here remains static and suffers a downturn.

Following intense deliberation by senators on Thursday, 30 November, the lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to summon Finance and Development Planning Minister Boima Kamara, Commerce and Industry Minister Addy Axel, Liberia Revenue Authority Commissioner General, Madam Elfrieda Stewart Tamba, and Executive Governor Milton Weeks to provide updates on the country’s economy.

The Plenary's decision on Thursday came as a result of a communication from Grand Bassa County Senator Jonathan Kaipee who had written the Senate, seeking the intervention of the upper house of the Liberian Legislature.

The communication dated November 20, 2017 calls Senators to attention to the pending political transition expected in January 2018, noting that knowledge about the present state of the economy prior to the anticipated transition is extremely necessary.

"I therefore have the honor to request that both the Minister of Finance and Development Planning and Commissioner General of the Liberia Revenue Authority be invited to appear before Plenary and provide information on the current state of the country’s economy," the communication says.

It requests that the information to be provided by the agencies summoned must specially include update on the second quarter of the 2017 National Budget on which the government is currently operating, and the revenue generated during the quarter under review, according to LRA’s revenue projection.

Based on the content, the Senators in Plenary included the Central Bank of Liberia Executive Governor to join the process of providing the detailed information to the public through the state. Meanwhile, officials of those government institutions are expected in the Chambers of the Senate on 5 December.

Pres. Sirleaf Commissions Richelieu Williams as Ambassador to Morocco, Source: FrontPage Africa

According to FrontPage Africa, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has commissioned Richelieu Archibald Williams as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Morocco, stating, “We are taking one of our favorite ones to make him Ambassador,” the Liberian leader said passionately.

An Executive Mansion release said President Sirleaf performed the commissioning ceremony on Thursday, 30 November 2017 in the Cabinet room of her Foreign Ministry office in Monrovia. President Sirleaf urged Ambassador Williams to build and strengthen strong relationship that would enhance closer cooperation and foster bilateral ties. She described the decision to name Ambassador Williams to his new assignment as a hard one to make, terming him as an institutional person as manifested by his performance when he served in the aviation sector but noted that she was glad someone will continue where he stopped. Read More

Liberia Makes Case for Re-Election to International Maritime Council, Source: FrontPage Africa

Liberia has made an impassioned case for it re-election to the Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), at its 30th regular assembly currently convening in London. The plea was made in Liberia's principal statement read on behalf of Maritime Commissioner Dr. James Kollie by Liberia's Permanent Representative to the IMO, Ambassador Isaac W. Jackson, Jr.

Liberia has served as a Category C member of the International Maritime Council since 2012. The council is the executive organ of IMO that takes decision in the absence of Assembly, and coordinate all activities of the Organs of the organization. The statement recalled Liberia's position as the world’s major flag states with more than 150 million gross registered tons, including its "rich history in facilitating the international maritime industry through a favorable framework within which ship-owners compete in global trade and commerce.” According to Dr. Kollie, Liberia has consistently played both far-reaching and pivotal roles in regulating the public dimension of uniform global maritime transport standards. Read More

Debt Court Summons Liberian Senate over Alleged Failure to Pay Vehicle Vendor, Source: FrontPage Africa

FrontPage Africa has learned that the Debt Court in Monrovia Tuesday issued the Liberian Senate a writ of summoned to response to accusation of their failure to pay vehicles vendor  “United Motor Corporation” for vehicles they took on account of government.

According to sources, Senate Pro-tempore Amah Jallah who heads the Senate refused to accept the writ from the sheriff but rather refereed them to the legal department of the Senate and according to one of our sources no one was in the department to receive the writ. Staffs in the legal department who asked to be anonymous confirmed that a writ came from the court but said there was procedure error on the part of the court as to who the writ should have been served.

In an attempt to contact the company a man believe to be in the higher ups of the company who refused to disclosed his identity via telephone confirmed that he had sue the Senate but said, going to the media wasn’t an option for him. Read More

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Releases Liberia’s First Mental Health Act, Source: FrontPage Africa

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Liberia has released the country’s first Mental Health Act and distributed the official handbill in Liberia this week. Distribution of the handbill by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Office of the Deputy Minister for Legal Affairs, signals the official enactment of Liberia’s first law to improve health care for people with mental illnesses and prevent discrimination against them, this paper reports.

The bill, passed by the Liberia House of Representatives on 24 May, protects people living with mental health disorders from discrimination and will give access to quality mental health care in all 15 counties. The bill, signed by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, establishes, for the first time, oversight of mental health care through the Ministry of Health and creates a national advisory body on mental health issues. The Mental Health Act also protects the property of people with mental health conditions. "Access to mental health services is a basic human right. The enactment of this Mental Health Act was needed to markedly improve the health and lives of all Liberians,” said Dr. Eve Byrd, Carter Center Mental Health Program Director. Read More

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ON LIBERIA

“Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Girls at Criss Point” – Liberian Girls Alliance, Source: News Public Trust

“Sexual exploitation and abuse of girls in Liberia is at a crisis point and the Liberian justice system is not doing enough to halt the predatory behavior of men against teenagers,” a local teenage advocacy group, the Girls Alliance for Future Leadership says. The group said it “has lost confidence in the Liberian Judiciary, especially the Supreme Court of Liberia,” as it commemorates the mysterious death several years ago of a 13-year-old girl, Angel Togba.

After a case that lasted from March 2010, the Supreme Court in August 2014 reversed a lower ruling which brought down a couple guilty in connection with the death of the teenager, something the child rights group is yet to be pleased with. The Supreme Court, which is the highest arbiter of Justice in Liberia, handed down the ruling that set the defendants free after two previous autopsies on little Angel Togba. But some three years after the Supreme Court’s ruling, the child rights group says it is demanding two answers from the Supreme Court:

“1. Why it delayed the hearing until the height of the Ebola Crisis when the entire country was under partial Curfew and public gathering was barred by the government. 2. Why did the former Justice Minister now Justice Philip Banks recused himself and not Justice Kabineh JA’neh who served at the National Port Authority alongside Hans Williams both men as rebel representatives in the transitional government?”

In a statement issued on Wednesday to mark Angel Togba’s Day, the Girls Alliance called on the international donors to the Liberian Judiciary to ensure that their tax payers’ dollars to the Liberian Justice system is tied to a comprehensive audit of how the system is handling cases of sexual abuse of women and girls. The group emphasized that most Liberia girls are now refusing to report sexual violence against them because they believe the justice system cannot protect them if they come forward. Read More

Sierra Leonean Woman Arrested For Attempting To Sell Mother and Child In Liberia, Source: GNN Liberia

Police in Monrovia have arrested a Sierra Leonean woman in the Brewerville Community area for her alleged involvement in an attempt to sell two persons, a mother and a child brought into Liberia from Sierra Leonean. According to a local radio station, the woman whose name was not disclosed was arrested following a tipoff from a resident who said the lady in question asked him to seek for a buyer for two persons she brought from Sierra Leone at the amount of US$350.00.

The lady who is currently behind bars at the Brewerville police depot, has reportedly confessed that act of human trafficking blaming it on hardship being encountered in her country, Sierra Leone. She reportedly told the police that the purpose of coming to Liberia to sell the victims was based on information she received that politicians here were in search of human being for ritualistic purposes, prompted her to take on such a journey. Meanwhile, the victims have been rescued by the police and are said to be in safe hands.

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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