“REMEMBER TO VOTE” wrote Liberia’s National Elections Commission (NEC) on its Facebook page on Wednesday, a daily reminder to Liberians that the final stage of selecting their president is fast approaching. “REMEMBER NOT TO CHEAT AGAIN NEC!” came the swift reply in the comments. Former international footballer George Weah and incumbent Vice President Joseph Boakai face a runoff for Liberia’s presidency on November 7, a crucial test of the country’s stability. But complaints about the conduct of the first round of voting on October 10 are drowning out their efforts to campaign in the small west African nation. As Weah and Boakai mount last-minute pushes for funding and support at home and abroad, Liberians are preoccupied with another political process playing out at the electoral commission and potentially in the country’s courts.
Three political parties have alleged irregularities in the voting process: telecoms tycoon Benoni Urey’s All Liberian Party (ALP), former Coca-Cola executive Alexander Cummings’ Alternative National Congress (ANC) and veteran opposition candidate Charles Brumskine’s Liberty Party.
NEC chairman Jerome Korkoya told journalists on Wednesday the commission had received 56 different election-related complaints so far, which were “being handled according to due process and in a transparent and open manner.”
Full Article: Election Complaints Overshadow Liberia Presidential Runoff.