Monrovia – No one died in Saturday’s campaign violence between supporters of the opposition Unity Party and the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), the Liberia National Police has said.
Report by Lennart Dodoo, [email protected]
In a Facebook video, the Unity Party Montserrado County District 13 representative candidate, Cornelia Krua-Togba, accused supporters of the CDC led by its Youth League Chairman, Jefferson Koijee, who is also the Mayor of the City of Monrovia, of stabbing one of her supporters, a female, multiple times, and she was later pronounced dead.
According to Cornelia, her campaign ground – Gardnersville – was invaded by supporters of the CDC who were led by Koijee, and began to attack her supporters, threw stones at them and wounded them with using weapons, including cutlasses.
Cornelia’s Account
Our supporters assembled in an orderly and peaceful manner observing that other citizens of Montserrado have to go about their normal businesses. We were also cognizant of the possibility of other candidates climaxing their campaigns and as per NEC’s permission, we agreed to use different fields in the District to assemble.
This day should have been a day when we showed the world that we are a democratic state that can ably manage our own affairs, to include the conduct of peaceful elections. Sadly, it turned to a bloodbath where many of my supporters were brutally wounded with machetes, stones, sticks and other weapons and pepper-sprayed by supporters of the ruling party, the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC).
The mayhem unleashed by the CDC on our supporters was led by Jefferson Koijee, Youth Chair of the CDC and Mayor of the City of Monrovia. The CDC supporters left their assembly point in Iron Factory and marched into ours at New Georgia. I, along with the Liberty Party’s Political Leader, Senator Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence, had to be whisked to safety immediately following the attack.
This is a violation of our constitutional rights and the elections laws. Our freedom to assemble and right to choose our leaders came under attack today. This is worrisome because it is proving now that the elections will most likely be rigged by the ruling party (CDC) in favor of its candidate as they now seem intent on violently taking over the leadership of our District. The attack on us today is a clear case of electoral violence meant to intimidate and instill fear in our supporters.
My heart goes out to those who were wounded and hurt by this brutality and assault. Please know that you are in my heart and prayers. We are highly disappointed by today’s events. I saw firsthand the brutality against peaceful citizens and partisans of the tripartite opposition alliance and it is a shame that this egregious act was led by officials of government and senior members of the ruling party. This is not what democracy looks like!
My life and that of my family as well as the lives of members of my campaign team and supporters are at risk.
Sen. Nyonblee Kangar-Lawrence’s Account
Also present at Cornelia’s campaign activity on Saturday was Grand Bassa County Senator, Nyonblee Kangar-Lawrence who is also the political leader of the Liberty Party, a collaborating party of the tripartite arrangement supporting Cornelia.
Giving her own account of what unfolded, Senator Lawrence posted to her Facebook page:
While at the campaign rally of Cornelia today, in district 13 Montserrado County,
I watched Jefferson Koijee the City Mayor of Monrovia and a group of uniformed men walking through the crowd with
I was rescued by community dwellers, and placed in a home for two hours, with all the iron bars locked.
My vehicle and that of my team was escorted by men of the community on a back road to Diggsville to get away. This was a very shocking and ugly scene!
We condemn this act of brutality, and will fight for justice to be done. My prayers for all those who got wounded, wish you all speedy recovery, And My appreciation to the community dwellers who rescued me and others today. To God be the Glory!
So many lives depend on what we do.
How Koijee Got in Cornelia’s Camp
In an interview with FPA, Koijee explained: “I had to move in because my responsibility in the campaign was to make sure I mobilize our supporters and I heard some of our supporters were stranded in that area where Cornelia’s people had set up road blocks so there was no way for them to reach to us. This is how I told my people, ‘Let’s go and see how best we can get them to join us. Immediately Cornelia’s people saw us, without asking, they started throwing stones.”
He lamented that what was intended to be peaceful ended up being violent, noting that such is not a good sign for the country’s democracy.
He challenged his accusers to show proof that he or any of his followers were carrying guns or machetes as being alleged by them.
CDC Chairman: We’ll Sue Sen. Lawrence
The Chairman of the ruling Coalition of Democratic Change Mulbah Morlu, Jr., on Sunday described the allegations made against the Coalition and Koijee as ‘lies’ and threatened lawsuit against Cornelia and Senator Lawrence for defamation.
“What was surprising is, for the Standard Bearer of a party that is supposed to be a respectable political institution, to join the bandwagons of lies and the invention of fallacies; that Senator Lawrence who happens to be the Standard Bearer of the Liberty Party, will go public, in serving falsehood and distorting facts, to the extent that she is deliberately lying, saying, CDCians were seen wielding machetes and cutlasses going against innocent people yesterday is unfortunate, reprehensible, and should be condemned by all well-meaning Liberians,” he said.
According to Morlu, the CDC will take the Liberty Party Standard Bearer and sitting to court in order for her to produce evidence and provide facts relating to the allegations made against his party.
“First and foremost, it is important for us to stress that no member of the CDC yesterday, be it at the rally, or out of the rally, in private or secret, yesterday paraded or walked around holding cutlasses. And we are challenging the Liberty Party to come out and contradict this fact,” he challenged.
Police Clarifies
The Liberia National Police on Sunday refuted reports one person been dead as a result of the standoff between the two parties.
“The situation left four persons, three males and one female injured. The injured victims were immediately rushed to the Kevin Clinic in Bassa Town, New Georgia and the John F. Kennedy Medical Hospital respectively for treatment after which they were discharged,” the police said.
Meanwhile, the LNP has launched an active investigation to ensure that perpetrators of such violence are made to face the full weight of the law.
NEC Issues Caveat
The National Elections Commission (NEC) expressed concern over the campaign violence.
The Commission in a statement issued today, Sunday 18, November 2018 cautioned all political parties and their supporters to conduct their political activities in a peaceful manner within the confirms of the Constitution, the electoral laws, regulations and guidelines to ensure that the political campaign period ends peacefully.
The Elections Commission said it is collaborating with State Security to ascertain full details about the violence in the Gardnersville area in district # 13, Montserrado County.
The NEC warned all political parties and their supporters that it will not hesitate to take action in keeping with the laws of Liberia to punish any political party or political supporter engaging in acts of violence during the conduct of the By-Election in district # 13.
