MONROVIA – The Chairman of the Unity Party (UP), Rev. Luther Tarpeh has raised serious concern over the faulty Biometric Voters Registration (BVR) machines deployed in the stronghold of the Unity Party in Lofa County whereas Biometry of the machines deployed in that part of Lofa assumed to be the strong hold of Thomas Fallah which he said it is an attempt by NEC to deny UP partisans from registering in Nimba and Lofa Counties.
Accordingly, Rev. Tarpeh led a three-member top-notch executive of the opposition Unity Party including the National Secretary General Amos Tweah and Vice Chair for Recruitment and mobilization William Bryant, to the Headquarters of the National Elections Commission where the UP alarmed at what they said had the propensity to deprived the party’s support in Lofa registration.
At the NEC Headquarters where they met with the Commission’s political Officers Ignatius Wesseh, the expressed serious reservation on the Biometry Voters’ Registration in the county, especially in certain quarters of Foyah where the machines being used by the NEC broke down while electorates stand in the cues without voting, although sources hinted that the NEC Political Officer noted their concern and assured that them that the Commission would address it.
Addressing journalists after their meeting with the NEC officials on Wednesday at the Commission’s Headquarters, Rev. Tarpeh said they were at the NEC to express their deep concern regarding their partisans, especially in Nimba and Lofa Counties, who they claimed have been marginalized, stating, “ ‘we’re hearing that the BVR Machines that were sent to these counties have broken down and or mal-functioning, thereby denying Unity Partisans the opportunity to secure their BVT cards.
The Unity Party Chairman furthered that the confusing thing about the situation is that the machines ‘in our stronghold were, our standard bearer comes from and where our representative come from are all Mal-functioning in Foyah specifically,’ saying that the BVR Machine were the CDC Candidate, Rep. Thomas Fallah came from are functioning perfectly.
Chairman Tarpeh indicated, “The political dichotomy is very concerning were our people, our supporters with the zealous heart cannot register because of what is termed as technical reason.”
Chairman Tarpeh intoned, “That is why here as Chairman, National Secretary General and Vice Chairman for mobilization of the Unity Party have come to register our deepest concerns about this issue to the National Election Commission to address it urgently within the next 24-48 hours.”
He averred that the faulty Biometric Voters Registration Machines have not only been experienced in Lofa, but they are also in Nimba county, saying “We choose our Vice running mate from Nimba County just few days ago and we know what that means politically.
“And so our people in Nimba are also experiencing those kinds of technical shortfalls in their voters’ registration process which amounts to making political calculation that this is intentional to lower the Unity Partisans’ zeal to register and vote the government they feel that can move Liberia forward.
He note that this concern is legitimate and eventually operates against UP’s victory, a reason why the UP top-notch executives went to the NEC to register this concern.
Tarpeh indicated, “I am glad that we were able to come to the register this very important concern to the NEC Political Officer, who upon hearing our complaint, promised to discuss that with the NEC Commissioner, Davidetta Brown Lansanah on the matter,
The political officer also promised that NEC would get back to UP as soon as possible; Chairman Tarpeh said, reiterating that ‘if our people walk for nine hours and they have no were to register their names to be process to participate in the election, of course, every single hours now counts’.
He then stated that Unity Partisans have been marginalized and wondered whether or not there will have to be extension of the BVR to allow them to express their political franchises as eligible Liberians who should be part of the election; writes Sallu Swaray.