MONROVIA – Supporters of the opposition Unity Party have serenely beaten poll watchers deployed by helicopter from the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) on Monday in Foya, Lofa County, accusing them of transporting pre-marked ballot papers into the country.
The Commander of the Liberia National Police in Foya, Soko Konneh, confirmed to FrontPageAfrica that the poll watchers were taken to the police depot for protective custody after they were severely beaten. He said they were later released to a trusted official of the CDC for medical attention. He mentioned that the men were accused of bringing in ballot boxes with pre-marked papers, but no evidence has been provided.
“They said they saw ballot boxes, but they have not been able to provide any evidence,” he stated.
When contacted for comments, Lenn Eugene Nagbe, the campaign chairman of the CDC, condemned the incident and called for a full-scale investigation. “We condemn the act of violence and hold the Unity Party directly responsible. We call on all peace-loving Liberians to condemn the violence against our poll watchers. We expect the Liberia National Police to fully investigate this violence and bring the perpetrators to book,” he expressed.
Several calls were placed to the secretary general and the campaign spokesman of the UP, but they were not answered as their phones rang endlessly.
