MONROVIA – Tension is flaring over the results of Monday’s Montserrado County by-elections as the parties of the two front runners are claiming victory and celebrating at both ends.
The Liberty Party backed by its collaborators, the Unity Party, All Liberian Party and the Alternative National Congress, on Tuesday afternoon held a press conference congratulating its senatorial candidate Abraham Darius Dillon for massively being in the lead while the representative candidate, Telia Urey was also said to be leading her counterpart from the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) in District 15.
The Liberty party (LP) Chairman Senator Steve Zargo of Lofa County told journalists that results in the possession of the LP show that the collaborating parties’ senatorial candidate is in the lead with a 20,000 difference between him and his main contender Paulita CC Wie of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC).
Sen. Zargo: “Our technical team is currently monitoring and tally sheets available to the collaborating political parties show that the two candidates on the ticket of the collaborating parties are in an irreversible lead.
“We thank the people of Montserrado County for turning out to make history by defeating CDC in what is believe to be their back yard. We will jealously protect our ballot.”
Sen. Zargo stated that the three collaborating parties are enviously protecting their ballots and called on the international community to be aware of what he said is an “attempt by the ruling party to thwart results”.
The collaborating opposition political parties later issued the below joint statement:
The Collaborating Political Parties of Liberia, along with all of our supporters and affiliates would like to congratulate first and foremost the Liberian people for believing in the institution of democracy and for coming out and exercising the muscle of the ballot in the recent by-elections for the vacant Montserrado County senatorial seat, and the vacant Montserrado County District 15 representative seat.
To continue to strengthen the tenets of democracy in this republic, our people must continue to engage democracy with the sort of attitude displayed in Montserrado on July 29, 2019. Through their massive and relentless show of support for their preferred choices, the people of Montserrado have demonstrated their resolve and have restated their determination to reinstate good democracy, good governance and the rule of law.
Additionally, the Collaborating Political Parties congratulate Senator-elect Mr. Abraham Darius Dillon of the Liberty Party, and Representative-elect Ms. Teia Urey of the ALP on their irreversible resounding victory! These results demonstrate the Liberian people’s commitment to positive change and their desire for better governance and improved quality of life. We hope that these victories serve as a precedent for all future elections in our country.
At this juncture, we are in this public manner calling on the government of Liberia to allow the results of these elections to stand as they are at the polls, and call on the CDC to concede defeat gracefully and immediately begin working on reconciliation and nation building process.
CDC In the Lead, Too?
But the ruling Coalition also on Tuesday evening said “Reports in our possession shows authoritative lead in the two by-elections and we would not follow the opposition to claim the victory or to undermine the truism of the tally sheets signed by poll watchers and records of the National Elections.”
The CDC’s chairman, Mulbah Morlu called on supporters and sympathizers of the CDC to “remain calm and demonstrate a high level of patriotism during this period of opposition to claim a victory that they don’t have.”
Morlu argued that in the 2017 presidential elections, Liberty Party and the Unity Party claimed victory “that they could not achieve at the ballot boxes”.
“These so-called collaborators are so desperate for power and have begun a media propaganda on their politically owned news outlets like Roots FM, owned and operated by Urey and family to confuse the voting population. We see such move by them as a recipe to create chaos and thus, we shall rise above such pitfalls in the interest of maintaining the peace and stability of Liberia,” he said.
Chairman Morlu said 100 percent results from tallied from District 15 in their possession put their candidate, Abu Kamara in an overwhelming lead.
In a Facebook post, Abu Kamara’s contender, Telia Urey expressed gratitude to her voters. She wrote: “I want to say a huge thank you to all of our supporters!!!! You guys are truly amazing! Thanks for all the messages and the love! WE DID IT!!! Sorry I haven’t been able to respond to everyone!! I will be coming out with a full statement later today!!”
Mr. Sekou Kalasco Damaro, special aide to President George Weah took to Facebook encouraging insisting on their victory. He also posted: “You guys will learn the hard way. Congratulations to our candidates for a win well deserved.”
Representative Moses Acarous Gray of the ruling CDC seems to have narrowed the party’s victory to the District 15 seat, which the opposition have also claimed victory of. Rep. Gray also posted to Facebook: “Take it to the bank. It’s law and gospel. CDC has won D#15 commandingly and if not true I will resign my post.”
COP Protest to Interplay?
Amid these disputes ahead of the National Elections Commission (NEC) timeline for the release of the final by-election results, the Council of Patriots (COP) insist on having the sequel to the June 7 mass protest today, July 31.
The COP is dominantly made of members of the opposition collaborating political parties.
Political pundits say today’s protest is also intended to send a caveat to the NEC on how the by-elections results are handled.
The June 7 protest was staged to demand President Weah adhere to the Constitution of Liberia, salvage the economy by dismissing Finance Minister Samuel Tweah and Central Bank Governor, Nathaniel R. Patray, III.
Henry Costa, one of the organizers of the protest told FPA, “We will shut down the town until Weah acts on our demands”.