PHOTO: Newly elected Lofa County Sen. Joseph Jallah (Right) receiving his certificate from NEC’s Chair Browne Lansanah (Left)
By Our Staff Writer
The main opposition Unity Party (UP) of former Liberian Vice President Joseph Boakai has failed to gather the legal evidence to challenge the results of the June 28 Lofa County By-election, after struggle to do this since the polls closed.
So now, after the seven-day window in Liberian elections law elapsed for legally challenging poll results expired, the National Elections Commission (NEC) has gone ahead with the certificate of Independent candidate, Cllr. Joseph K. Jallah who is the official winner of the June 28, 2022 By-election, some two years after Lofa’s second Senate seat has been vacant.
During the certification ceremony in Monrovia yesterday, July 13, 2022, Sen. Jallah pledged to unite and reconcile Lofa County, while the Chairperson of NEC, Davidetta Browne Lansanah reaffirmed the validity of the election results as free, fair and transparent.
“The records of accounts signed by party agents were shared by the parties and a copy of each was posted on the wall for public viewing. After the votes have been counted, tallied, and known to the parties, the results show that Jallah won and the NEC, on July 1, declared him as the winner of the said by-election,” Mrs. Borwne Lansanah said.
The main opposition Unity Party of Boakai, who earlier this month rejected the results and called for it to be scrapped, has apparently been unable to muster the evidence to legally challenge the victory of Jallah, whose ticket was strongly backed by the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC).
At a news conference on July 5, 2022, the UP Standard Bearer, Boakai said: “In view of the foregoing, the Unity Party and its allies are convinced that the current Elections Commission is not representative of the people’s interest and should therefore be scrapped and replaced by a competent and partisan free NEC to prepare for 2023 general and presidential elections. Our country has come through so much and cannot continue to trade peace with a disorderly election. We, therefore, ask our partisans, the United Nations, the United States of America, the European Union, the African Union, ECOWAS, and all friends of Liberia to ensure the future of our country in this endeavor. Meanwhile, our legal team will be communicating with the National Election Commission to establish our final position on Lofa.”
But speaking during his certification, Cllr. Jallah said that his victor is a victory for unity and it is for lasting peace and reconciliation.
He pointed out that his success stands tall above all egos, and it is for religious tolerance, harmony, and peaceful coexistence among the people of Lofa.
“To those who think they have lost, Lofa has not lost. Lofa shall continue to be our beacon of hope as well as the catalyst for social and economic development. We subject our will to the will of democracy. This is for the presence of our people, mainly from lower Lofa which is constituted of Kolahun, Foya, and Vahun Districts,” he added.
“I was disappointed that some of our desperate losers are comparing the results counted and tallied in Lofa County without any proof that the results in their possession are different from those announced by the NEC,” the incoming Lofa County Senator said.