Protesting Liberian parties appeal against ruling to electoral board

21 Novembre 2017

Monrovia, Liberia, November 21 (Infosplusgabon) - Liberia's ruling Unity Party (UP) and the Liberty Party on Tuesday announced an appeal to the Board of Commissioners of the National Election Commission (NEC) after the Dispute Hearing Officer denied and dismissed their complaint of irregularities and fraud in the 10 October polls.

The Board of Commission is the highest decision making body of the NEC, after which the complainant's only legal resort will be the Supreme Court of Liberia.

NEC Hearing Officer Muana Sando Ville on Monday ruled that the two parties’ allegations lacked weight to overturn the results of the 10 October presidential and representative elections.

Ville said despite the lack of weight to overturn the result, the electoral body is mandated to “correct all irregularities” identified by LP and UP, and alluded to by the NEC before holding any future elections, including the run-off poll that was set for 7 November, but cancelled to probe the alleged claims.

The two parties had claimed “irregularities and fraud” in the first round of the election, and later went to the Supreme Court that mandated the NEC to probe the allegation and rule in it.

“The first complainant and the intervener complainant have failed to prove the allegation of irregularities and fraud that warrant the re-run of the October 10, 2017 elections," Ville said. "This is in keeping with law  [that] the burden of proof rests heavily on the accuser."

Prior to the ruling, the Hearing officer entertained final arguments from all sides, including the LP, UP and NEC.

FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/OLM/ GABON 2017

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