CPP Smells Plan To Change Results -Partisans, Supporters to Converge at LP’s Headquarters Today For Press Confab

In the wake of preliminary results of tally sheets from polling centers across the country, especially in Montserrado and Grand Bassa Counties, pointing to the CPP having a commanding lead in the just-ended midterm senatorial race, tension has started to mount in the two counties, with reports speaking of plans to change results of the CPP commanding lead in the two counties.

In the port city of Buchanan, riot ensued Wednesday between supporters of Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence of the CPP and her main rival Gbehzonghar Findley of the CDC over claims that the two sides had won the elections.

The melee is said to have started when President George M. Weah reportedly entered Buchanan as votes were still being counted. Supporters of Senator Lawrence were seen chanting slogans: “George Weah go back, CDC, No cheating!”

Supporters of Senator Lawrence had gathered in front of the Liberty Party headquarter in Buchanan chanting and dancing in a celebratory mood that their senator had been retained. CDC supporters also milled opposite the LP headquarter and started celebrating for their candidate.

During the ensuing standoff, both groups started throwing stones at one another. Two CPP partisans got wounded in the standoff, as the police fought hard to restrain supporters of both parties.

In Montserrado County, reports of attempts by the government to turn CPP candidate Abraham Darius Dillon’s commanding lead has led Senator Dillon to call for a press conference today Thursday.

“All #CPP partisans, our supporters, well-wishers and sympathizers are invited 12PM tomorrow at Liberty Party Headquarters. We will hold a MAJOR Press Conference surrounding the Montserrado County Senatorial election to be followed by a Pre-Victory Celebration. The local and international MEDIA are courteously invited,” Senator Dillon said late Wednesday evening.

Dillon’s planned press conference comes on the heels of mounting reports in several quarters indicating that there are serious plans underway to change the ballot results in favor of CDC senatorial candidate Thomas Fallah.

“NEC, just so you know! We are alert and watching. We have our tally sheets. Just so you know!!!” Dillon warned.

Since the media and private citizens started to post the preliminary results in Montserrado late Tuesday, there has been an unsettling quietude from the ruling CDC camp, as their supporters seemed cowed into submission. But with the news emerging of attempts to turn the result against the CPP, CDC loyalists resumed posting confidently on social media about “breaking news”.

“Here is what’s happening: For the last 24hours, our opponents have been silent on Facebook and in disarray as a result of their devastating loss. Did you observe? Today, our inside sources informed us of a strategy they devised just this morning to do what we call in propaganda “Imaging”. By that context using the social media and mainstream media that started just this afternoon, they decided to have their supporters post that they are winning Bassa and Montserrado specifically, and have their supporters celebrating as a way of imaging. Have their supporters post and celebrate and boom, you will panic! Be smart! The plan is once they do the public imaging, it could pave the way for fraud since they will be playing the “mind game”! Don’t stress yourselves, don’t worry because to do so will mean you are succumbing to their imaging and mind games. All of us have to protect our votes till the very end. Do not let them win the mind game with you! The truth is we are winning bigly in Montserrado and Grand Bassa. We have tally sheets to prove! Their plans will not work! It will not work! The very people who are posting were the very people who disappeared for the last 24 hours until after their meeting today. They are trying to find a way to bounce back but it’s over! Don’t mind their posts or celebrations, that’s just a mind game and imaging. Go ahead and post confidently too. You are sure of victory! Be smart! We will celebrate our victories in Bassa and Montserrado this Saturday with a mass rally at the UP headquarters and fair ground in Buchanan respectively. We are calling on all of our supporters to gather daily at the LP headquarters in Monrovia and Bassa for daily celebrations. As they are faking their celebration, we will celebrate ours genuinely. We have won!” a staunch Dillon supporter exclaimed.

A former government security higher-up who defected to the United States says the government should be very careful about changing the will of the Liberian people.

“This is the thing that bought war in this country for 14 years. President Weah must be very careful. We have suffered too long for it to end in chaos again,” the former Weah security expert said.

During the round of campaigns, President George Weah toured Bomi, Margibi, Nimba and Bong where he tried vigorously to sell the candidates of his party but could not yield much results. While in Bomi County to canvass for votes in favor of former Speaker Alex Tyler he descended on Representative Edwin Melvin Snowe for not delivering relief materials and solar panels he had given to the people of the county but were allegedly used by Honorable Snowe to support his own campaign efforts. He also took a swipe at Vice President, Mrs Jewel Howard – Taylor whom he alleged was supporting rival candidate and not Senator Henry Yallah, who was the flag bearer of the CDC. Ironically, everything tended to have backfired as all those who got the support from the President did not get any results as they are currently trailing candidates from the CPP.

For the race in Montserrado County, Representative Thomas P. Fallah, candidate of the CDC received massive support from the government and got a lot of endorsements from groups and institutions around the county. The government also backed his candidature and placed at his disposal services that should have ordinarily been offered by state institutions. For instance, Honorable Fallah was seen in communities constructing and rehabilitation roads, launching and commissioning projects. He was also made huge donations to people and institutions such as churches, schools, charity organizations, etc. throughout the county.

“You are definitely going to be frustrated and downcast after spending such huge fortune whether it was from the government or from your own pocket and then losing the election. The disappointment is just too much. CDC and Thomas Fallah are not happy and they want to do everything possible to make themselves happy but you can’t do it by changing the results in your favor. The people have spoken. We want peace. Let them forget it and try next time. This is not a do or die affairs.” said Retired Sergeant Kelvin Suomie, a former member of the AFL