The parties, which include candidates in second and third place so far, said the National Election Commission has manipulated vote-counting in favour of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Partial results show Mrs Sirleaf leading, but short of the majority needed to avoid a run-off vote. And the election commission later rejected the opposition charges. It has until 26 October to announce the final results.
Under the rules, if no candidate scores an overall majority, a run-off between the two front-runners will be held early next month. The opposition say they will not accept the result if counting goes on.
An opposition statement said: “We wish to notify the Liberian people of the massive fraud being carried out by the National Elections Commission in the handling and reporting of the presidential election results in favour of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and the Unity Party.”
“We direct all our party agents assigned at (the electoral commission) in all capacities to withdraw effective immediately,” the statement read. “If the process continues we will not accept the results.”
Hours later, the National Election Commission chairman James Fromayah said: “It doesn’t pose any credibility problems. All the parties participated in the elections. The counting was done and both the local population and the international observers that came acclaimed the process to be free, fair and transparent.”
Full Article: BBC News – Liberia opposition denounce poll as ‘fraudulent’.
