Monrovia – Presidential Press Secretary, Jerolinmek Piah, has responded to the ruling Unity Party’s allegation of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s alleged interference with the October 10 elections and their request for the dissolution of the Board of Commissioners of the National Elections Commission (NEC).
Report by Lennart Dodoo, [email protected]
Mr. Piah described the allegations contained in the special statement delivered Sunday by the Unity Party in collaboration with the All Liberian Party and the Liberty as grave but completely baseless. He noted that the allegations were an unfortunate attempt to by agents of provocateurs to undermine Liberia’s democratic process.
“These allegations fall in the category of hate speech and inciting language which should be condemned and disallowed by all peace-loving Liberians,” Piah asserted.
Piah clarified that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has never interfered in the process, outcome or results of the 2017 general and Presidential elections.
“Piah: “All meetings, interactions or exchanges between the Office of the President and the National Elections Commission (NEC) were consistent with her constitutional role to ensure that the process was supported and such interactions were initiated at the request of the Commission and never held secretly but in the presence of others even on occasion with the presence of international representatives, who remain concern about Liberia’s progress.”
The Unity Party and its cohorts alleged Sunday that “Before the polls—and throughout the campaigning period—we raised alarm bells about what was becoming direct interference with the electoral process by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, who any reasonable mind would have thought should by now be preoccupied with allowing a genuine transitional process, the first since 1944, when Edwin James Barclay stepped down for William Tubman, although Tubman himself would later cling onto political power for nearly three decades.”
The Unity Party chairman, Mr. Wilmot Paye, said Sunday that they were aware that long before the October 10, 2017 polls, President Sirleaf had invited Election Magistrates to her residence for a meeting, which is unprecedented in election history.
Paye: “Our respective Political Parties maintain that this act clearly amounted to interference with the electoral process and has no legal basis or justification whatsoever.”
He also accused the President of making direct contact with the head of the National Elections to alter the outcome of the elections.
“The President’s conduct was an act of intimidation and inducement, especially since some commissioners of the National Elections Commission had warned Chairman Jerome Kokorya against Election Magistrates meeting President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.”
Those commissioners were correct that because there was no precedent for it anywhere, that meeting was not necessary at all.”
“If the President had any legitimate “concerns” about this year’s elections, she needed to have made those concerns public and not to the magistrates, who are way below the administrative and legal institutional channels. Chairman Kokorya cannot continue to receive instructions from President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.”
But Mr. Piah said President Sirleaf has met with numerous domestic and international observation missions, as well as the various technical advisors working with the NEC.
On behalf of President Sirleaf, Piah reminded all political parties of their signature to the Farmington River Declaration, which obliges all parties to pursue a peaceful judicial resolution to electoral dispute.
Piah: “The President calls on all parties to refrain from utterances and actions that have the propensity to incite people and undermine the peace and stability of the country before, during and after the conclusion of the 2017 electoral process.
“We encourage any and all political parties with evidence of issues relating to the elections to present said evidence through the appropriate legal channels so that the issues may be adjudicated and where necessary, our elections process can be improved.”
Despite the ruling party’s call for the dissolution of the National Elections Commission, Piah said President Sirleaf is confident about the ability of the NEC to carry out professional, credible and transparent elections that accurately reflect the will of Liberians.
She is also expressed confidence in the Judicial Branch to adequately, transparently, fairly and impartially adjudicate any dispute arising from the elections.