Four vote-rich counties have fallen to the opposition Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) whereby candidates of the opposition bloc have clinched to victories in River-Gee, Grand Bassa, Lofa and Bong Counties respectively, while the CPP’s Darius Dillon tightened grip on the highly Contestable Montserrado County with 61.28% over his Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) opponent Thomas Pangar Fallah with 35.77%, according to official results by the National Election Commission (NEC), last Saturday; reports Bill K. Jarkloh.
Nineteen political parties and 2.47 million registered voters participated in the process; voting took place at 2080 voting precincts with 5,911 polling places, the National Election Commission has disclosed on its website www.necliberia.org,.
However, results posted puts Senator Abraham Dillon in the lead with 196, 334 votes constituting 61.28% while Thomas Fallah lingers behind with 114,590 votes equivalent to 35.77%. The total valid votes for Montserrado are 320,373 constituting 97.00% of the total votes cast and the total invalid votes of 9,903 or 3.00% accounting for the total of 330, 276 votes constituting 100% of vote cast as shown on the NEC website.
Already, NEC’s Chairperson Davidetta Brown Lansanah has declared some contestants as winners of the Midterm Senatorial Elections. They include a former soccer star, Jonathan Boycharles Siagbeh of the CPP for River-Gee. Siagbeh, with 4,972 votes accounting for 33.59%, dragged the CDC’s Charles Korkor Bardy (4,598 or 31.06%) at the polls while as in Grand Bassa county, the CPP’s incumbent Senator Nyonblee Karngar Lawrence, with 2,2476 accounting for 42.01%, won CDC’s Gbehzohngar Milton Findley who acquired 20, 346 amounting to 330.03%.
Also in Lofa County Lofa, former National Defense Minister J. Brownie Samukai won with 17,377 votes or 30.01%; his main contender Joseph Kpator Jallah has 13,805 votes amounting to 23.84%; while the CPP’s Bong County candidate who is the current Deputy House Speaker of the House of Representatives Prince Moye exited the lower House to the Senate with 39,337 votes accounting for 51.28% over the CDC’s Henry Yallah who accrues 25, 247 representing 32.91%.
Also declared as winner by the NEC Chairperson for Rivercess County is Willington Geevon Smith with 3,284 amounting to 23.45%; Senator-elect Smith flogged his main competitor, independent Candidate Steve Tequah (3168 or 22.62%).
At the same time, Independent Candidate and sitting Bomi Representative Edwin Melvin Snowe, won the Bomi race to the Senate with 16,476 votes constituting 53.97%; he defeated at the polls the CDC’s Alex Jenekai Tyler Sr. who amasses 8,834 or 28.94% and Sando Dazoe Johnson of the CPP who gets 2,994 equivalent to 9.81%.
Other results posted by NEC show that in Nimba, Senator Prince Y. Johnson’s MDR candidate Jerimiah Koung, with 36, 954 votes settling for 36.29% is leading the CPP’s Edith Gongloe Weh who acquires 32,803 votes or 32.22%; total valid votes in that county accounted for 101, 823 (94.05%), invalid votes 6,445 equal to 5.95%; total votes amounting 100% of votes cast is put at 108, 268.
In Grand Gedeh, Zoe Emmanuel Pennoh of the CDC leads with 7,923, equivalent to 40.78%; his main opponent of the LPR, former Foreign Minister Thomas Yaya Nimely 5,702 or 29.35%; as the NEC has already posted 19,430 or 94.04% as total valid votes, 1,232 invalid votes representing 5.96% with 20, 662 as the total votes cast representing 100 percent.
Augustine S. Chea of the CDC, with 6,578 equivalent to 44.34% leads Sinoe County’s independent candidate Thomas Romeo Quioh who accumulates 4,663 votes accounting for 31.43% and the CPP’s Briamah Grace Scotland 3,334 amounting to 22.47%; the total valid votes posted are 14, 837 amounting to 93.52%, total invalid votes are 1,028 capturing 6.48% with the 100% votes showing 15,865.
In Grand Cape Mount County in the Western part of Liberia, CPP’s Simeon Boima Taylor is leading with 10,562 votes or 34.98% while is main opponent Victor Varney Watson of the CDC accrues 8,936 votes equal to 29.6%; total valid votes are 30,193 and invalid votes 1,745 or 5.46% accounting for the total votes at 100% to be 31,938.
In Gbarpolu, the midterm senatorial results puts independent candidate Botoe Kanneh in the lead with 4,722 votes representing 25.68% over his main opponent Alfred Gayflor Koiwood of the CDC who gets 4,273 votes equal to 23.24%; total valid votes are 18,390 (92.51), total invalid votes1,490 (7.49%) and total votes are equal to 19,880 which amounts to 100%;
For Margibi, Emmanuel James Nuquay of the PUP is in the lead with 33,938 votes and equivalent of 59.41% of the votes cast; his main contender is the CDC’s Ivar Kokulo Jones with 15, 536 votes amounting to 27.2%. Total valid votes are equal to 57,128; total invalid 3,002 and total votes amounting to 100% equal to 60,130.
Meanwhile, it is evident that with the trend of the elections results, several by-election will be scheduled in 90 days to fill vacancies that are being created by members of the House of Representatives who are emerging winners of the midterm Senatorial election.
Already two representatives have won, including Bong County’s Prince Moye and Bomi County’s Edwin Snowe.
This relates that the government and Liberia’s international partners should begin to brace up for the by-elections in the country at a time the Liberian economy is dismally performing.