NEC Staff Under Investigation for Alleged Involvement in Election Violence in Nimba County as Ballot Boxes Are Damaged and One Goes Missing in Beo-Longtuo Town
By Franklin Doloquee / Nimba County
Sanniqullie, Nimba County – An election supervisor assigned to Beo-Longtuo Town is currently under investigation for his suspected role in the election violence that occurred in District Number 4 on Tuesday, October 10.
Supervisor Menwogbay Sieder has been linked to the disturbances that transpired in Beo-Longtuo Town on that day.
Around 6:45 PM on Tuesday, during the countrywide elections, a large number of Ivorian voters entered Liberia from Ivory Coast and demanded the National Election Commission (NEC) workers to allow them to cast their votes. Their request was denied, leading to an altercation that resulted in the Ivorian voters disrupting the proceedings and placing NEC workers under house arrest.
Following this incident, two of the representative ballot boxes located in the four polling centers in Beo-Longtuo Town, with Center Code 33258, were damaged. These polling centers were expected to have 850 registered voters. Additionally, one ballot box went missing from the residence of Beo-Longtuo Town Chief Augustine Borduneh, where it was being kept for safekeeping.
Aggrieved citizens of the town, including supporters of the 17 representative candidates, came forward with heightened tension, demanding that the NEC rerun the election for Beo-Longtuo Town.
Security forces were deployed to the town to release NEC workers and the voters who were under house arrest. They managed to apprehend eight suspects, including Beo-Longtuo Town Chief Augustine Borduneh, who was found with one of the missing ballot boxes, and Menwogbay Sieder, who has been described as a prominent leader who allegedly ordered the citizens, including young people believed to be party supporters.
The individuals arrested and brought to Sanniqullie include Menwogbay Sieder, the election supervisor, and the alleged leader of the incident; Augustine Borduneh, the Beo-Longtuo Town Chief who had one of the missing ballot boxes; Florence Worh, the wife of the Town Chief; and 45-year-old George Josephus and Nelson Gonmon, identified as rank leaders. Others include Hanforne Cooper, Emmanuel Louh, and Gommatay Gonnue, who are considered the main suspects identified by the security forces for their alleged involvement in the election violence on Tuesday, October 10 in Beo-Longtuo Town.
Some residents of Nimba County pointed out that the Beo Clan is known for experiencing election-related violence, particularly in Districts 4 and 5.
During the October 10 elections, citizens of Gruizianplay Town in District Number 5 also witnessed election violence when Ivorian voters disrupted several polling centers in the town. These voters disrupted the proceedings in four polling centers with Center Code 33083, where 1,955 expected voters were to cast their ballots.
According to our correspondent in Nimba County, District Number 4 featured 17 representative candidates participating in the 2023 elections. These candidates include Zoe Daynah Ayonahn, Jocab M. Zahyed, Lawrence Wortuah Waymah, Marie D. Dorzah, Moses Duo Mendin, Ernest Manseh, who has close ties with the current representative Gunpue L. Kargon, Kwanue Dlando, Karnue Gasehnjo, and others such as Elliott Habakkuk Gaye, Alloucher M. Garr, Billy K. Flehn, Emmanuel, Rachel Bartuah, Esther Bartuah, and Meaway S. Barleah, who are all contesting against representative Gunpue L. Kargon.
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