Liberia: Early turn-out, delayed, slow processing mark start of voting

10 Octobre 2017

Monrovia, Liberia,  October  10 (Infosplusgabon) - Hundreds of thousands of Liberians trooped into polling centers across the country early Tuesday to exercise their democratic franchise in the nation’s presidential and parliamentary elections.

Although the National Elections Commission announced that polling starts at 8:00 a.m. (GMT), voters seemed not to be deterred, some arriving at polling centers as early as 5:30 a.m.\\

Some 2.1 million registered voters are expected to cast their ballots to elect a president out of 20 candidates, and 73 members of the lower house of parliament from nearly 1,000 contestants.

They will be voting in 73 electoral districts, which have 2,080 voting precincts and 5,390 voting places across Liberia’s 15 counties.

Backed by a rising sun, the weather condition in most parts of Liberia seems favourable as reported by several of the nearly two dozen radio stations giving situation reports using correspondents nationwide.

But the reports indicate that a number of polling places have gotten off to a slow start, while others are experiencing voting materials mix-up that has affected the start of voting.

Many other places reported smooth conduct of the exercise.

However, the National Elections Commission (NEC) has announced that it will hold a press conference late Tuesday to “provide an update” on the electoral process.

There are no reports so far of violence or chaos at any of the voting places across the country.

Polls will close at 18:00 hours Tuesday.

FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/ERT/GABON 2017

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