PHOTO: Some of the Lofa citizens who are challenging the By-election results
By Our Reporter
Just hours after NEC released the final results declaring government-backed Independent candidate, Cllr. Joseph K. Jallah as the winner of the Lofa County By-election, a group calling itself “Citizens in Action for Electoral Justice” has rejected the results.
In a statement over the weekend signed by the group’s Chairman, Abass Mark Biaty, the group claimed that the results from NEC was wrong, contrary to what it had in its database and it is calling for the resignation of the NEC Chair.
Biaty is the same individual who led the campaign to agitate for the certification of former Defense Minister Brownie Samukai, who won the November 2020 Special Senatorial Elections on the opposition CPP ticket. But Smaukai could not be certificate during to legal challenges in court as a result of his conviction for corruption regarding the misapplication of over one million US dollars of AFL soldiers’ welfare money.
But NEC Chairman Davidetta Browne-Lansana in her announcement of the results last Friday maintained that the results were valid,
“Mr. Joseph Jallah, having scored the highest number of votes is hereby declared the winner of the Lofa County by-election,” NEC Chairman Davidetta Browne Lansana announced at the Commission’s headquarters in Monrovia.
According to the NEC results, Cllr. Jallah scored 22,019 votes to defeat his closest rival, Garlakpai Kortimai of the Unity Party with 21,229 votes in the election which passed off peacefully.
That means, Jallah won by just 790 votes in last Monday’s poll that contested by four other candidates.
Shortly after NEC announced the final results, Cllr. Jallah at a ceremony in Foya, the home town of former Vice President Joseph Boakai and leader of the main opposition UP, officially joined the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) party of President George Weah.
BELOW IS FULL TEXT OF THE LOFA CITIZENS’ STATEMENT:
Citizens in Action For Electorial
Justice in Lofa County.(CAEJLC)
Voinjama City, Lofa County
0770433778/0776457193
Press Statement for immediate Release:
“Fellow Liberians, we the citizens of Lofa, who voted candidate Galakpai W. Kortimai in the just ended Senatorial by-election, have gathered here to denounce, reject and condemn the “purported results” announced by the National Election Commission (NEC).
The National Election commission’s declaration of Candidate Jallah as the winner, who was supported by the ruling CDC Government is nothing but Vote rigging and broad day stealing of the votes of the majority of the people of Lofa who voted candidate Kortimai base on empirical facts available at many databases! This act by NEC to announce candidate Jallah as winner of the by-election we believe is influence by the Weah led administration who have proven beyond reasons to continue to politically and economically disenfranchised the people of Lofa.
This vote stealing will further exacerbate the already bitterness and hits created between the people of Lofa and Cabas of thieves headed by George Weah since he became president. Let the word goes forth that CAEJLC can’t be alive and allow the people of Lofa be robbed of their constitutional rights by Weah and his incompetent and criminal mined NEC.
We are therefore calling for the immediate and unconditional resignation of NEC Boss Davidatta L. Brown and and the local magistrates of Lower Lofa, for willfully colluding to commit the crime of votes rigging and electoral frauds! NEC boss and the magistrates jointly and knowingly committed the following electoral frauds: 1. By inflating election results in flavor of Cllr. Jallah with numbers higher then the numbers of registered voters in many electoral districts on the website of the NEC which was later shotdown at which time the evidences were already screenshot and saved 2. By providing misleading and inaccurate numbers or figures on final results or tally sheets on their websites. 3. By allowing cllr.Jallah and supporters openly trucking VOTERS before and on the day of election.
4. Intimidation and harrassment of voters who they preserved where not in their intrest.
We reject the results announced by Weah’s NEC and therefore, call on our leaders of Unity party to categorically reject this broad day stealing of our votes and Democratic rights as this is the Second time the Weah regime has stolen our Votes.”
Signed:———————————-
Emmanuel Zay Zay
Secretary General-077645193
Approved by:—————————
Samuel Johnson
Spokes person-0775104897
Attested by:—————————–
Abass Mark Biaty
Chairman-077043377