In the wake of reports that supporters of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change are working frantically in Gbarpolu County to thwart the election activities of Independent candidate Madam Botoe Kanneh as they go to the polls today Tuesday, the Collaborating Political Parties says it is alarmed over the arrest and detention of its Head of Secretariat, Cllr. Aloysius Toe, and the brother of the presumptive winner of the senatorial election, Cllr. Boakai Kanneh, and other members of a high-powered CPP delegation currently in Gbarpolu County.
According to a CPP press statement issued Monday at the Alternative National Congress (ANC) Party headquarters in Sinkor, the CPP said the last time they communicated with the delegation, they were informed the CPP officials had been ordered arrested and detained by the NSA Commander in Gbarpolu County.
“While in a follow-up conversation with a member of the team, he informed us that their phones have been ordered seized by state security agents who said they were acting on the orders of higher-ups and they have been charged with espionage. CPP wonders why a group of citizens freely moving in their own country when there is no state of emergency or war whatsoever, will be charged with espionage. We see these harassments of Female Candidates in Nimba and Gbarpolu as being preposterous and unnecessarily provocative. It is common knowledge that the CDC dismally performed in the just ended Senatorial Elections and are bent on circumventing the elections in Nimba and Gbarpolu to savage its political image,” the opposition CPP alarmed.
The CPP therefore warned the CDC-led Government to, with immediate effect, release its officials and disengage from all acts of attempting to circumventing the elections in Gbarpolu and Nimba Counties within 24 hours or else the party would rally their supporters to engage in unspecified actions.
“We call on our international partners to bring pressure to bear on the regime to ensure that these individuals are released and their rights restored. We do not rule out legal actions against the government of Liberia for Human Rights Violations before the ECOWAS Court of any other competent international tribunal,” the CPP threatened.
The CPP noted in its press statement that, also in Nimba County, there is evidence of tally sheet manipulation at the tallying center in favor of the candidate supported by the government against Edith Gongloe-Weh, the CPP’s candidate, and that the NEC workers were also observed to have carelessly handled ballot papers which questioned the integrity and credibility of the process in certain places.
“In Gbarpolu County, not only that state securities are effectively blocking supporters of Independent Candidate Botoe Kanneh from entering Nomodatonau Town where election is expected to be held on Tuesday December 15, 2020 to complete the senatorial election in that county, they are also intimidating voters in a bid to deter them from voting for the candidate of their choice. The action of the ruling CDC and the government in Nimba and Gbarpolu proves that the CDC will do everything to ensure that women are not elected to the Liberian senate. They fought unsuccessfully in Grand Bassa to ensure that the only female (Sen. Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence) in the senate was not reelected.
“In their desperation to win Grand Kru at all cost, the ruling CDC again in cohort with the NEC is elevating through electoral fraud the third candidate contesting on the CDC’s ticket to a winning position at the expense of two independent candidates. The CPP will stand toe to toe with the independent candidates to ensure that the actual winner of the race in Grand Kru is announced by the NEC.
“In the District 9 by-election in Montserrado County, scores of voters were disenfranchised by the incompetency of the NEC. Most of the voters who registered at the Jokpen Town Market, one of many precincts in District 9, were told they could not vote because they had been transferred to Blamasi Town in District 17. The CPP condemns this deliberate act by the NEC and would be demanding a rerun at that precinct so as to enable legally registered voters to cast their ballots.
“On the issue of the referendum, we strongly caution the NEC not to in any way tamper with the results. Counting in our situation rooms across the country show that none of the propositions acquired the required 2/3rd YES votes to be passed. In fact, our records of count show that there are more NO votes than YES. The CPP along with civil society organizations and other opposition political parties will keenly monitor the tallying of the referendum votes,” the main opposition bloc averred, while congratulating all of its winning candidates and those independent candidates that have also been declared winners.
“We also extend our congratulations to winning candidates of other political parties,” CPP said.
Shannon & Partners Complains
Meanwhile, the legal counsel to Gbarpolu County Independent senatorial candidate Madam Botoe Kanneh on Monday, December 14, 2020 officially complained to National Elections Commissioner, Mrs. Davidetta Browne-Lasanah, that his client and her supporters were massively attacked on the instructions of Clan Chief and traditional elders in the township of Nomodatahum, District #3, Gbarpolu County.
“Currently, Madam Botoe Kanneh is running for her dear life and two of her supporters have been attacked. Cllr. Boakai Kanneh and Joseph conditions are in a state of danger. The clan chief on today instructed the “traditional devil” to enter the town of Nomodatahum, District #3 Gbarpolu County virtually terrorizing all supporters of Senatorial aspirant Madam Botoe Kanneh. With these negative unfolding developments, the Campaign Committee of Madam Botoe Kanneh lives are in imminent danger making it practically impossible to continue with her elections activities. I have been in contact with the Magistrate of Gbarpolu County, Attorney Fomba Swaray, having him abreast of the situation,” Legal Counsel Moiffie Kanneh stated.
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