MONROVIA – The National Elections Commission (NEC) has dispelled rumors that it has brought ballot papers for the December 8 Special Senatorial Elections in the country via the Roberts International Airport.
According to the NEC Communications Director, the NEC has a tradition of alerting the media and other stakeholders and also gives them the opportunity to join NEC officials at the Roberts International Airport to receive ballot papers whenever they arrive.
He said, the ballot papers are then escorted by armed police officers to a secured location that is also guarded by armed men and women.
He was speaking in reaction to pictures cartons with stickers bearing the inscription “National Elections Commission. Senatorial Elections Ballot…” circulating on Facebook and other social media.
“Whenever we bring in ballot papers, we always call the press. We take them to the airport to witness the landing of the plane, and the removal of the ballots from the plane and then those ballots are escorted by armed men to a secured warehouse. This has been the tradition. How will we bring ballot papers I the country and no one knows about it?” Mr Henry Flomo asked rhetorically.
According to him, he does not know where the pictures indicating that ballot papers were brought in cartons is coming from, neither the motive behind such, but he admonished those involved to desist as such misinformation and propaganda could derails the entire electoral process.
Mr. Mo Ali, the secretary general of the former ruling Unity Party was among several others who over the weekend posted pictures of the boxes with the alleged ballot papers.
He wrote: “Ballot papers for the December 8 election arrived at the RIA via Air Kenya. Some boxes were sealed, others are not. The materials were loaded on two trucks with plate numbers C-50549 and C-52766.
“Why are some of the boxes UNSEALED??? Has the NEC started giving out some of the ballots out already?”
But Mr. Flomo insists that the NEC has not brought in ballots and that the Elections Commission does not operate in secrecy.