MONROVIA – Telia Urey, the opposition representative candidate who was over the weekend violently attacked in Logan Town, has written the National Elections Commission (NEC), informing the electoral body that 12 of her supporters had to flee the community for their safety.
Telia came under the bloody attack on Saturday which led to the damage of her bullet-proof Toyota Land Cruiser and injuries to she and several of her supporters who had gone to visit the headquarters of another candidate in the recently-held elections.
“As I write this letter, twelve of our leaders and supporters in Logan Town have had to flee their homes since Thursday (including women with children) to seek refuge in hidden areas due to harassment and threats being made to them and their families by supporters of Abu Kamara. These cases have increased daily and has become alarming,” she penned in the letter addressed to Chairman of the National Elections Commission, Cllr. Jerome Korkoyah.
The Liberia National Police and the Ministry of Justice have been instructed by President George Weah to investigate the attack and ensure that perpetrators are prosecuted.
According to Ms. Urey, the riot started as a result of the supporters of her rival in the race, Abu Kamara, refusal to use the route the Magistrate instructed them to follow for the closing rallies.
“While being barricaded by police, CDCians began stoning our Headquarters. These attacks were carried out for over 6 hours, leaving over 25 of our supporters injured on that day (Pictures and videos attached). Some of these victims were in very critical condition. Our headquarters was also destructed,” she stated in the complaint to the NEC.
Urey lamented the continuous attacks in the District is a threat to Liberia’s democracy, especially so when it is coming from the camp of the ruling party’s candidate. She said the level of electoral violence; the instilling of fear and harassment has made it impossible for the residents of the district to associate with her campaign team freely and express themselves.
“This is not a leveled playing field and has a damaging effect on our electoral activities. Moreover, it violates the basic democratic rights of residents,” she averred in the letter.
She called on the NEC to take action to enable her campaign freely.
“To strengthen democracy, further development, and ensure long-lasting peace and stability in Liberia, elections must be conducted with the highest degree of freedom and fairness. Only then can we say that the democratic rights of our citizens are respected and their will to have a leader who represents them and that they can hold accountable is truly respected. This is the foundation of the democratic principle of political equality and the only means to which our democracy is strengthened,” she noted.