MONROVIA – As the National Election Commission (NEC) is currently hearing and investigating alleged electoral fraud in District #9 from the just ended by-election, one of the candidates who filed a complaint has called on residents of the district and his supporters to be calm and give NEC the benefit of the doubt to investigate his complaint.
Fubbi called comes in the wake of residents and supporters accusing the hearing officer, Atty. Edward Z. Fahnbulleh who is presiding over the case of taking side with the NEC and the ruling party candidate Frank Foko.
Residents and supporters of the CPP in District #9 are pointing accusing fingers at the Hearing Officer, Atty Edward Z. Fahnbulleh, in the case Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) verses the NEC of being compromised from the way he’s preceding with the case.
FrontPageAfrica has observed that the hearing officer objected to CPP’s request to produce 187 witnesses, and restricted them to only produce 9.
During the testimonies of the various nine witnesses, which included CPP’s candidate Fubbi F. A. Henries, disenchanted residents following the case told FrontPageAfrica that the hearing officer sided with NEC and CDC lawyers Atty Tayweah.
Though the hearing officer earlier denied the appearance of the CPP’s 187 witnesses, the NEC lawyer on the other hand has requested that the 187 witnesses in person or their voter’s cards would have been the best evidence instead of Sworn Affidavits submitted by CPP lawyer Atty Gould.
NEC during the hearing didn’t dispute the allegations of the transferred of approximately over 700 Voters from Nancy B. Doe School in District #9 to Blamasee Public School in District #17, and additionally the over 500 other Voters who were denied due to: No Pictures, Misspelled Names, lack of careful looking and other reasons on the Final Registration Roll at various Precincts across District #9, instead used Exhibition as an excuse for their efficiencies in having a Cleaned Final Registration Roll.
Hoff Rachel, a resident of the district name correctly spelled on the voter ID card but was misspelled on the FRR as EHOFF Rachel, she was allegedly denied. Another resident, Tumbey Cherish, correctly spelled on voter ID but misspelled on FRR as Tombey, Cherish and was also denied, while Mulbah Menue K is correctly spelled on voter ID but misspelled as Mulah Menue K something that also denied him of voting, and Mckeever Robert D. Correctly spelled on ID and misspelled on FRR as MUKEEVER Robert D denied as well of voting.
Records from NEC relating to the FRR that were given to Political Parties, were printed by CPP showing names of People who registered at Nancy B. Doe School in District #9, and were transferred to Blamasee Public School in District #17 by NEC, subsequently denying them the Rights to vote in the Constituency they registered.
The residents described the action of the NEC as a clear violation of their constitutional rights and a violation of Article 80c of the Liberian Constitution.
Article 80c states: “Every Liberian Citizen shall have the Right to be Registered in a Constituency, and to VOTE in public elections only in the Constituency where Registered, either in person or by absent ballot; provided that such citizen shall have the right to change his voting Constituency as may be prescribed by the Legislature”.
Prince Harris, a resident of the district also disclosed that copies of various Polling Places across the District #9, showing persons who were denied the Rights to vote for various reasons were made available to NEC.
“The NEC cannot do this to us that supposed to vote at that polling center, for me I am not a supporter of the ANC or CPP candidate, I am a proud supporter of Madam Cyvette Gibson but I didn’t vote because our center was transfer in district #17 which I didn’t have any idea of,” he disclosed.
Another victim, Hawa Sheriff from the Philip Preparatory School said she was also denied of voting because she was told by NEC poll attendance or supervisors that she had to go to another polling center that she feels was not at her reach.
“I was too angry and could not vote that day because the NEC people say I should go to Nancy Doe and when I went to Nancy Doe I was told to one place call Blamasee Public School and I don’t know the place so I didn’t vote, “ She explained in anger
A Motion of Rejection prayed for by NEC and CDC’s defense counsel was granted by the Hearing Officer Atty Edward Z. Fahnbulleh on grounds of Not the Best Evidence, as the original from NEC will be.
A subpoena of the original documents from Nancy B. Doe School and Blamasee Public School FRRs used on December 8th, Source Documents of the recent Voter’s Roll Updates from Nancy B. Doe and Blamasee Public Schools, Final Registration Rolls (FRRs) from all Polling Places in District #9, used on December was filed by CPP and granted by Hearing Officer Atty Edward Z. Fahnbulleh on Monday, January 4, 2021.
After Counsel of CPP Atty Aloysius Toe, made the representation on Thursday, January 7, 2021 requesting for the subpoenaed documents, Hearing Officer Atty Edward Z. Fahnbulleh denied provision of documents on grounds that NEC provided on a USB Pen Drive copies of FRR to Political Parties and CPP should make use out of it.
Evidence he earlier rejected on Grounds of not the Best Evidence. On that note, CPP Counsel Atty Gould notified that they will take advantage of the Appeal Process (other legal Remedies available within the law).
Additionally, it was being observed that the NEC lawyers are building a defense and using Exhibition as an excuse for not having a Clean Voters Roll.
On the issue of pre-marked ballots, the testimonies of NEC Polling Officer and that CDC Poll watcher and Supervisor at the Don Bosco Youth Center, both witnesses for the Defendants, didn’t corroborate. NEC Polling Officer said, the pre-marked Ballots scenario occurred twice, while CDC Poll watcher said it occurred once. The NEC Polling Officer said after the pre-marked ballots situations, there were commotion or violence and voting was stopped for about an hour and half, while the CDC Poll watcher said, things were normal and no commotion occurred and the voting process was not stopped.