Monrovia – Amid efforts by the National Elections Commission to conduct the burning of the special 2014 senatorial election, the Supreme Court of Liberia has instructed the commission to refrain from burning all ballot boxes in District #1 and 4, Lofa County senatorial election of December 2014.
The decision by the high court follows a bill of information filed by one of the senatorial candidates during the December 2014 Special Senatorial Election.
According to the bill of information to Court Marshall Brig. General Amos B. Kesseh dated Friday, June 10, 2016, the high court said objections in the senatorial election of the said districts are still a subject matter for decision pending before the court.
The Supreme Court’s latest action is based on a bill of information filed by lawyers representing the legal interest of Cllr. Joseph K. Jallah (a former senatorial candidate of Lofa County December 2014 election) in the ongoing case involving the Alliance for Peace and Democracy APD, Informant/ Appellant Versus The National Elections Commission, All Poll Workers, Hon. Stephen J.H Zargo, Respondents/Apellee.
Said the Supreme Court: “You are hereby commanded to notify Counselor Jerome G. Korkoya, Commissioner, National Elections Commission, all pull workers and Stephen J.H Zargo of the City of Monrovia , Republic of Liberia Respondents in the above entitled cause of action to appear before the full bench of the honorable Supreme Court of the Republic of Liberia, Temple of Justice, at the hour of 9:00 a.m, to show cause why informants bill of information as prayed for should not be granted, and require the respondent herein above to send up the chamber of the supreme court a full and complete copy of the proceedings at issue with a certificate seal of this honorable court that same is true and correct copy.”
Meanwhile, the election body is expected to file its return to the writ in the office of the clerk of court on or before the 23rd day of June 2016.
It can be recalled that after the conduct of the Lofa County senatorial election, Cllr. Joseph K. Jallah challenged the results of the election at the Supreme Court which later ruled that a recount of the ballot papers be carried out by the National Elections Commission.
After the recount, Cllr. Jallah took exception to the recount process on grounds that the NEC ignored and refused to follow any procedure like using the Final Registration Roll [FRR] to determine whether the people that voted in December 2014 are the same people whose votes were being recounted.
Other alleged irregularities suggested that four sealed boxes were suspected broken (two in Voinjama and two in Foya, totaling 2,000 votes.
A reduction in Sen. Zargo’s votes reportedly from 7,000 to 5,337after the recount, amongst other irregularities noticed further prompted Cllr. Jallah to again appeal to the Supreme Court for redress, noting that the NEC refused at the time to follow its own rules.
In a related development, FrontPageAfrica has gathered that a delegation from the Lofa County Traditional Council visited Monrovia at the request of Senator Zargo in a bid to find a way forward from the ongoing litigation between the two prominent individuals from the county.
The delegation according to sources met with Senator Zargo and Cllr. Jallah and invited the parties to Voinjama City on June 11, 2016 for a peace talk on the election saga.
Sources closed to the peace deal informed FrontPageAfrica that two days to the peace talks, Senator Zargo withdrew from the deal and later called the chiefs to inform Cllr. Jallah that he Senator Zargo will not be in the country for the discussion.
The electoral dispute is said to be taking and twist with Cllr. Jallah threatening to institute a court action against Senator Zargo’s Radio station (Voice of Lofa) for what he termed as slander or libel.
Senator Zargo is accused of using the station to badmouth his opponents and other prominent citizens of the county including Vice President Joseph Boakai.
Many in the county are complaining that the radio station is not following the practice and procedure of a community radio to focus on developmental journalism but instead being used by the Senator to attack opponents.