Liberian presidential election re-run on the cards

MONROVIA: The losers of Liberia’s October presidential elections appear to be taking advantage of the constitution, and the backing of a Supreme Court ruling delaying a run-off poll to determine who should run the country as post-election battle lines are drawn.

This could set the West African country’s election back well into December, thereby delaying by months the first democratic transfer of power in over 70 years.

Liberia’s opposition Liberty Party stated it was taking its claims of election fraud to the Supreme Court this week after the electoral commission ruled on Friday that the first-round presidential election vote on October 10 was free and fair, Kenya’s Standard newspaper reported.

Over 75% of 1.6 million eligible Liberians voted in October’s twin parliamentary and presidential elections.

According to Liberia’s National Elections Commission (NEC), former footballer George Weah’s Coalition for Democratic Change scored 38.4% of the vote, outgoing vice-president and ruling Unity Party standard-bearer Joseph Boakai won 28.8% and Charles Brumskine’s Liberty Party came third with 9.6% of votes cast.

As no candidate polled the requisite 51% to prevent a run-off, the NEC scheduled a second round of voting for November 7, but this was thwarted by the Supreme Court after Brumskine petitioned the court for a delay alleging fraud, thereby triggering a political, legal and potentially constitutional crisis.

The court ruled in his favour, based on due process as outlined in Liberia’s constitution, despite international observers saying the elections were largely free and fair, with little evidence of systematic fraud, and the impossibility of Bruskine winning.

However, Bruskine was still dissatisfied with Friday’s NEC ruling on the legitimacy of the first poll, stating that the NEC was the defendants and judges simultaneously.

The Liberty Party has until tomorrow to file its appeal, after which the Supreme Court has a further week to make a final ruling.

The delay has raised tension in Liberia where many say they are dissatisfied by incumbent President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf ’s 12-year rule, which cemented peace and brought much-needed aid to the country after a civil war but which did little to alleviate poverty.

As the post-electoral brawl moves from the public square into the courtrooms, political splits have emerged, pitting first-round winners and losers against each other – with Weah and Boakai on opposing sides of the divide.

Weah supports the run-off proceeding forthwith while Boakai wants the delay.