LEAD: Liberia Supreme Court stalls presidential election run-off

06 Novembre 2017

Monrovia, Liberia, November 6 (Infosplusgabon) -  The Supreme Court of Liberia on Monday granted the Writ of Prohibition filed by the opposition Liberty Party (LP) on the results of the first round of presidential election held 10 October that stalls the run-off scheduled for 7 November.

Chief Justice Francis Korkpor, in the court’s ruling, asked the National Elections Commssion (NEC) to go back and investigate the allegations of the Liberty Party and rule in the case. It added that, if need be, the party could revert to the Supreme Court for redress.

Justice Korkpor said until this is done, the NEC should not proceed with the run-off election scheduled between Senator George Weah of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and incumbent Vice president Joseph Boakai of the ruling Unity Party (UP).

The Chief Justice urged the NEC to “expeditiously” proceed with the investigation to clear the way for the run-off.

The Supreme Court last week ordered NEC and the Board of Commissioners to stay any and all preparations in respect of the pending run-off election pending the disposition by the petioners' petition.

The NEC, under the law, had 30 days to address a claim of voting irregularity, but it proceeded to announce results and set the date of run-off, causing the petitioner, Liberty Party, whose candidate Charles Brumskine came third, to seek legal redress at the court.

Justice Korkpor noted that the Supreme Court’s decision was based on the fact that the Liberty Party was not granted due process in keeping with Article 20 of the Constitution of Liberia.

Brunskine had filed a petition to the Supreme Court seeking a Writ of Prohibition to stop the NEC from announcing the results of the 10 October presidential and representative elections.

Brumskine argued as lead counsel for his party.

The party claimed there were “massive irregularities and fraud” that compromised the outcome of the polls, necessitating its legal action.

On 1 November Togolese President and Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Faure Gnassingbe and African Union Chairman President Alpha Conde of Guinea went to the Liberian capital, Monrovia, to resolve electoral issues.

This is because the fallouts from the first round of voting on 10 October are threatening the peace and security of the country that is only slowly emerging from a bloody civil war that claimed tens of thousands of lives, destroyed its infrastructure and literally halted its progress.

Apart from the court case, on 29 October, at a press conference organized by Unity Party (UP), All Liberia Party (ALP) and Liberty Party (LP), Mr. Wilmot Paye, Chairman of UP, alleged direct interference by the Liberian President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and called for dissolution of the NEC.

Among the anomalies they claimed during the press conference are widespread and systematic fraud; incompetence of the NEC; and inefficiencies and deliberate actions and/or inactions on the part of NEC that prevented 1,000 of Liberians from voting.

The parties cited meetings President Sirleaf held with members of the NEC and low level Magistrates to influence their role and decisions during the election process, among other acts.

But in a swift reaction, the Office of President Sirleaf termed them as “baseless”. Ironically, the ruling UP was part of the allegations against President Sirleaf.

“We like to be specifically clear, that at no time has President Sirleaf interfered with the electoral process, or the outcome or the results of the 2017 general and presidential elections,” Presidential Press Secretary, Jerolimek Piah, said.

He said the allegations were “works of agents provocateurs which should be condemned and disavowed by all peace-loving Liberians”, noting that this was also “an attempt to undermine Liberia’s democratic process”.

FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/UIJ/GABON 2017

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