Liberia: ECC Urges Supreme Court to Handle Election-related Cases with Fairness and Impartially

MONROVIA – The Election Coordinating Committee (ECC) has issued a caution to the Supreme Court of Liberia, urging them to adjudicate all electoral cases fairly and impartially during the critical period of Liberia’s elections.

During a news conference held in Monrovia, the ECC emphasized the importance of perceiving the adjudication of electoral petitions as free, fair, and transparent. The Executive Director of the ECC stated that the Supreme Court is the last hope for every Liberian seeking remedies, including electoral cases. Therefore, the court should make every effort to instill confidence in the citizens by ensuring that all electoral matters are handled in a free and fair manner whenever they are brought before the court.

Oscar Bloe, while providing a preliminary update on the electoral process, also urged the Liberian National Police and other security agencies to demonstrate neutrality and professionalism when dealing with post-electoral violence.

Bloe emphasized the critical role of security agencies in handling incidents of post-election violence before they escalate to court proceedings.

In addition, he called on the media to report factual information and avoid disseminating misinformation or disinformation related to the election results. Furthermore, he urged Civil Society actors to continue their efforts in disseminating peace and civic education messages to reduce any perceived tension.

Regarding the election process, Bloe stated that on election day, the ECC released its situational statement covering the opening and setup of polling places, observing that voting generally commenced on time and that sensitive voting materials were present. There was also an improved deployment of female poll workers.

However, there were delays in the opening of polling places in certain counties due to the late delivery of voting materials. During the voting, closing, and counting process, ECC observers reported various incidents at their assigned polling places.

Notably, ECC received reports from Sinoe where several centers impacted by the wet ballot issue did not open on election day. There were also isolated reports of tension at some voting precincts and instances of voter denial.

ECC reported that, in Sinoe electoral district 02, one center did not open as of 9 am due to the delayed delivery of election materials caused by transportation challenges. ECC later received reports that NEC officials were instructed to conduct the voting on October 11th, as the materials arrived late during the night, affecting a total of seven voting centers.

In Rivercess electoral district 01, an ECC coordinator reported that the voting process did not happen on October 10, 2023, as scheduled due to the late arrival of NEC staff. ECC will continue to monitor these rare occurrences and provide updates.

Seven people showed up to vote at a precinct in electoral district 10 but found their names already listed as having voted, according to a report by ECC staff. This led to tension, but it was swiftly resolved by state security personnel.

In Montserrado electoral district 02, an ECC observer reported serious tension and fighting in the queues, with two individuals losing consciousness due to the crowd. The voting process was interrupted twice for over 30 minutes each time. A large crowd remained at one of the polling places until 7:30 p.m.

Similarly, in Montserrado electoral district 03, the polling precinct was congested, with voters resorting to forcing their way through by 5 p.m.

An ECC observer in Montserrado electoral district 17 reported a man in possession of 24 voter identification cards that belonged to various people he had persuaded to double register. The NEC personnel disallowed one of the perpetrators from voting after discovering his double registration. The individual responsible for the violation was detained and turned over to the police, supporting the ECC’s pre-election findings of people being involved in the buying of voter registration cards.