Monrovia – Controversy has erupted over Montserrado County District #3 Representative election result following the discovery of some ballot boxes that were not sealed.
Report by Willie N. Tokpah – [email protected]
Outgoing Representative Bill Twehway of the Coalition for Democratic is protesting result after losing to the Unity Party candidate, Ceebee Barshall.
The National Elections Commission on Thursday announced a winner of Montserrado County District #3 in the October 10, 2017 representatives poll.
Twehway came second, followed by the ANC candidate, Patrick Komoyan, but he is protesting the district representative result on grounds that there was foul play at one of the polling precincts.
The outgoing Montserrado County lawmaker said one of the ballot boxes at the David Barshall Polling Precinct did not have the normal five seals on it, but rather an ordinary plastic and has filed a complaint to the National Elections Commission.
He told a local radio station in Paynesville that unsealed ballot boxes indicate foul play in the process and as such must be investigated.
“The ballot boxes were tampered with on its way to NEC, it was broken into, every ballot box should have five seals on it but most of the ballot boxes had no seal on them,” Tweh said.
Twehway is calling for a reelection at the David G. Barshall Polling Precinct on grounds that ballot papers were tampered with in favor of the announced winner, Ceebee Barshall.
He complained that the center used for polling is the property of the announced winner of the district, which serves as a clear factor to influence the result against other contestants.
Ceebee Barshall, the announced winner of Montserrado County District 3 is the owner of the David Barshall Sr. School System, a location used as one of the National Elections Commission Precincts.
The National Elections Commission has confirmed receipt of complaint from outgoing representative Tweh.
NEC Communication Officer Henry Flomo noted that a recount was scheduled for that particular precinct for Thursday, October 19, 2017 after Barshall refused to show up for the previous recount on Wednesday, October 18, 2017 as planned.
In a mobile phone conversation Thursday, Flomo, however, noted that the Thursday schedule did not yield results, assuring the media of furnishing them with information on any possible recount or reelection at the precinct.
Flomo at the same time registered that the Unity Party Candidate, Ceebee Barshall remains a winner until NEC can come out with its final ruling on the matter.
Barshall has not commented on the matter as his phone continue to ring endlessly but a source close to the Montserrado County District #3 who identified himself as ‘Deshield’ informed FPA that there has not been any communication received about a recount.
Deshield further noted that Barshall has informed his strategic team about plans by the election magistrate of Montserrado County and Bill Twehway to overturn the result.
Twehway says he is prepared to take legal process if the National Elections Commissions fails to render a fair judgment in complaint filed by him.
“We have three branches of government; we have the Judiciary which is clothed with the authority to investigate matters,” Twehway Intoned.
The outgoing Montserrado County District Number Three lawmaker also condemned allegation that he sent thugs to the home of Representative elect Ceebee Barshall on Sunday night.
Barshall accused Twehway of sending some unknown men to his home in Paynesville, creating chaos and vandalizing his property.
The outgoing lawmaker described the information as untrue, stating that he does not represent violence.
Twehway said – “Ceebee Barshall is a criminal. You know criminals are always in the habit of tarnishing the good name of people with good characters. I will never, I have no record of engaging in any violent act in this country, up to where I am; I have no record of ever going to anybody for medicine.”