Gbarnga, Bong County -The Presidential hopes of Vice President Joseph Boakai and the ruling Unity Party (UP) is hanging on a thread as his hope is resting upon the votes from mainly his native Lofa, Nimba and Bong counties to force a runoff, something he and his party are now praying to see.
Report by Selma Lomax, [email protected]
VPBoakai is performing poorly in nearly all counties with the exception of these three counties and should there be a possible runoff, his support from these three counties will be crucial to his election victory if he should withstand the massive votes coming for the standard bearer of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), George Weah, in the southeastern part of the country.
A combined votes from Lofa, Bong and Nimba, according to political observers, is a good support base for Boakai but danger is now lurking as FrontPageAfrica has gathered that some defeated candidates during the October 10 polls are feeling betrayed by an in-house fighting in Boakai’s camp in the county, with some blaming such action on the part of party officials for their defeat.
Popular among the names contemplating on doing so is outgoing Representative of electoral district three George Mulbah, James Dorbor Sao, a defeated candidate of District #5, Orando Zawolo, who finished second to first placed Josiah Marvin Cole of electoral district three, Augustus BC Flomo, candidate of the Alternative National Congress (ANC) of district three and E. Richard Dillon from electoral district one.
FrontPageAfrica has gathered that they are feeling disenchanted at the level at which they were treated by the UP.
In the case of Mulbah, the former Bong caucus chair was believed to have faced fighting from those who encouraged him in to join ranks with the PUP.
While the UP and PUP were working together during the election, in some districts, the Unity Party did not support a candidate against the PUP but in the case of District#3, the UP candidate Martha Morris received huge support from the party while Mulbah was left alone.
According to sources, the UP provided huge support to Madam Morris and the party also supported other candidates in the same district with the hope of getting their respective votes for Boakai while at the same time looking for their individual votes for the legislative seat.
Also, Speaker Nuquay is said to have given support to more than one candidates in the same district in Bong County behind the scene with the hope of getting their collective support.
The situation is said to have left candidates feeling betrayed and now rallying to make Vice President Boakai and Speaker Nuquay feel the pain of defeat by campaigning against them to their various supporters in the county.
Another candidate, Sao according to sources, is feeling angry that people encouraged him to support the UP Presidential ticket, comprising Vice President Boakai and Speaker Nuquay though he is originally from the Coalition of Liberia’s Progress but he was deceived as these same folks were supporting Edward Karfiah, the eventual winner of the legislative seat of the district.
Sao supporters say UP officials put him under the impression that they were supporting him for the district seat while at the same time supporting incumbent Karfiah.
“I will support the CDC if there will be a runoff because my supporters are pressuring me to do so. They feel that I was not treated good by the Unity Party,” Sao said.
In Electoral District#1, defeated candidate E. Richard Dillion, who contested as an Independent candidate and finished second to eventual winner Junior Hills of the All Liberian Party (ALP), is said to be feeling that there were strong forces against him in his district that led to his defeat.
FrontPageAfrica has gathered that in the wake of the growing disenchantment from defeated candidates in Bong County, Senator Jewel Howard Taylor is poised to have a meeting with them.
It could serve as a boost for the CDC and make things difficult for the UP particularly in wining Bong in the case there is a runoff.
Similar situation is said to have affected UP in Sinoe County, where Senator Milton Teahjay publicly campaigned against the UP candidate, Matthew Zarzar, which appeared to have weakened the party in the county.
In Grand Bassa County, key UP officials including Julia D. Cassell had to contest on the ticket of the Coalition of Liberia’s Progress (CLP), which reportedly reduced the votes of the party in the county.
The level of fragmentations and internal wrangling are some of the factors, political observers say, are resulting to the UP struggling to reach the runoff with the CDC maintaining a big lead.
In nearly all counties, there appeared to be conflicts within the top ranks of the UP and if these issues are not settled, pundits say, feat of 2005 and 2011 where the UP defeated the CDC in the runoff may likely not be repeated.
During the 2005 election, although the CDC won the first round of polling but the party did not win in as much counties as it is doing during this current election.
In 2011, the UP won the first round of polling before the CDC boycotted the runoff, but this time, the CDC is proving too strong for the UP, which could be down to the level of disagreements with the ruling party.
