Liberia has worn the badge of honor for peddling unfair sunrise elections, from time to time, by the government in power-no matter how it gets it-often times desperately.
This system, practiced by the Unity Party-led government, denies every effort by the oppressed, through the Opposition, to easily lay off a government so corrupt and unashamed of its actions and its deeds against the poor, for twelve (12) years now.
The courts, Police executives, and army head are unethical accomplices of a system in ruins, co-presided over by vice President Joseph Boakai.
No matter how covert members of UP foreign friends (then microchipped by Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf) termed past elections, those elections results still remain unhealed scars in the hearts of majority ordinary Liberians.
Despite the scars, Opposition has kept the peace for so too long in the face of repeat electoral frauds/manipulations against them-something President Sirleaf and UP would have taken to the forest (for). The National Elections Commission (NEC)-chaired by former UP executive Cllr. Jerome Kokoya-has broken grounds for elections manipulations.
Frances Johnson-Addison, bloodline of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, signed the premiere statement of manipulations when she, not the Liberian people, permitted Sirleaf to lead.
In one statement at the heart of 2005 elections, Johnson-Addison called a pro-poor leader of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), George Weah, an ‘irresponsible’ man who wants to become President.
Amidst reports of visibly massive cheat at the polls: ballots stuffing, tallied sheets remodeled, and disappearance of names on voters roll, Weah’s CDC votes were shriveled to 275, 265 or 28.3% against Ellen’s UP amplified 192, 326 or 19.8%, provoking a run-off staged to be won by Ellen.
Weah saved bloodshed and accepted the results for ‘peace sake’. Johnson-Addison was then given a reward card as Minister of Justice, Minister of Commerce and head of the Anti-Corruption for her involvement in the elections.
Time passed…6 years finished. It was first half of suffering for Liberians. UP then cloned the male version of Morris-Addison, in James Froymoyan, the Abidjan bag boy of Ellen, to preside over the 2011 elections. Same as Morris-Addison, Froymoyan integrity was questioned and loyalty to UP and Ellen exposed. The careless NEC chairman had rightly mistakenly declared the CDC winners in the 2011 elections.
Surprised at his incompetence and actually announcing what Liberians voted for, Chairman Froymoyan annulled the CDC’s results and switched them for the UP, ushering in another 6 years of semi-hell experience for Liberians. There were murders on the beach, of CDC partisans, by Police officers shooting live bullets at people cheated.
Those were the ghosts that laid the twelve (12) years framework for corruption, electric rise in homosexuality, poor healthcare, lack of basic social services, increase in crimes, etc.
The ghost is here in October again.
The events which defined the last two rigged elections seem pronounced, visible. NEC officials arrested in Nimba County for ballot stuffing for UP. ECOWAS observers head confirmed widespread ‘lapses’ in this year’s elections.
Prior, additional polling places were added to existing ones and no reason has since been given for the printing of at least 800, 000 excess ballot papers.
More than 10,000 people have double registered. Voters were turned down from voting because their names couldn’t be found on voters’ roll. Worst of all, like James Froymoyan, Cllr. James Kokoya is misreading elections results.
A CDC 43.9% lead for a total of 240,750 votes acquired was dwarfed to 39.6% by the NEC. These are horror signs likened to the past.
The Opposition, powered by the George Weah CDC, win thirteen (13) out of fifteen (15) counties in Liberia. Liberians are angry and have spoken. Unity Party must give peace a chance, this time around!
Clarence Farley, Contributing Writer
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