-Low turnout in just-ended Senatorial By-Election
By Mafanta Kromah,mafanta.kromah@gmail.com
ROBERTSPORT, Liberia- Thousands of people from Cape Mount refused to cast their votes during the Grand Cape Mounty Senatorial by-election over the weekend, due to what they described as failure on the part of those they have trust with power over the years.
The seat was created due to the death of former senator, Edward B. Dagoseh of the opposition United Party in June of this year, who was reported to have died from cancer at the Country Referrer hospital, JFK.
Grand Cape Mount County is among the counties with lower voting population of 66,389 registered voters from the 2017 statistics. There are 76 polling precincts and 171 polling places.
Mr. Mohammed A. Zinu, a resident and citizen of Robertsport frustrating said he did not vote and has no regret why he refused to vote during the by-election. He said he’s tired of making decision that has no benefit or impact on the county and the lives of his people.
Mohammed explained that those they have voted in the past to lead them has failed them and the county. “I don’t want to make a decision and regret it again, so I will not vote anyone in this election and I believed I have that right too.”
He stressed the issue of the road, especially the main road leading to Robertsports, the lack of proper health care and health equipment’s and the poor management of schools in the county as reasons why he refused to vote on the day of the by-election.
“To prepared the future generation, there is a need for a proper and modern education system. If we are not educated, how will we take on the leadership of our country, how will we contribute to our country,” Mohammed questioned.
He continued: “For me, I have decided not to take aspirants money or anything from them because when they get in power they always saying it was their money that gets them into power.”
At the same time, Musu Fahnbulleh, also a resident of the county expressed her disappointment as to why she refused to vote on the day of the by-election. She said for too long she has allowed herself to be deceived by greedy people calling themselves politicians.
She said when they need their votes, they will come around acting like their savior but when they get the position, they forget the very people responsible for their salary. She added that there is no road to the villages and towns and that the road leading to the capital city of the county, Robertsports is bad and need intervention.
She also stressed on the issue of empowering women and girls whom she said are the backbone of the county. She indicated that until she can see some changes in the leadership style of their leaders, she will not vote in any election.
However, while other refused to exercised their constitutional right to vote, other went to vote for candidates they believed can change the quo. Speaking with Teetee Niemly another citizen of the county who said she voted not because it’s her constitutional right, but because she want a change for her county.
She said she voted change and the person she voted is the right person to bring that change in the county. Noting someone who will not just represent them in the House, but one who will advocate for developments to come to the county.
Though she voted, she also has some expectation toward the new leader that will take over. She said she want the new leader to advocate for infrastratures developments in the county such as road constructions and among others.
“Take a look at the capital city of Cape Mount, does it look like a capital city to you in any way, our county deserves better too,” she stated.
She accused her past and present lawmakers of her county of not doing anything for their county, noting while other lawmakers are busy advocating for developments in their county, theirs are seeking self worth and she has confident that this person she voted for will change the dynamic.
Moreover, Hawa Paul, the head of women in Robertsports said they as women decided to vote their fellow woman because they are tired of the men supremacy with no impact on them nor the county.
She said it is about time to change the gender of leaders in the county especially when the males have failed them completely. She stressed that in the county, women are the most productive and are the best when it comes to management.
“We the women here get together and decided to vote for a female candidate, she didn’t do anything for us and she didn’t give us anything, we choose to vote a woman because we believed that only a woman can understand and manage the need of the county.”
“We made mistakes in the past, we have realized our mistakes and ready to rectify them. You seeing our roads here, there is only one way out and we as women here live by the sea so we must act for change now,” she explained.
Speaking during a press conference in Robertsport, Pallet Johnson, a member of the Steering Committee of the Liberia Election Observer Network or LEON said reports from their observers at centers said polling places opened on time with opening procedures done correctly in front of party agents.
According to them, between 5 to 7 party agents were present in each polling place, from across the spectrum of candidates, giving a large degree of transparency to the process.
However, Johnson said there was a shortage of polling staffs in around a third of all polling places observed, resulting in poor queue control or the Presiding officer to have to do the work of other staff especially the Voter Identification Officer
He mentioned that voting procedures were well conducted and the secrecy of the voting was protected. “In four polling places the Ballot Paper Issuer did not explain to the voters how to vote correctly.”
According to him, the biggest problem observed during the process was the issue of people queuing several times in one precinct in order to find the correct polling place to vote. The shortage of queue controllers meant that people were not properly directed, which he said slowed the election with people often taking ten minutes at each voter identification station.
“LEON believes that dividing the register between polling places by name rather than by number would greatly ease this problem in future elections,” he narrated.
He also affirmed that there were cases where a few people were not found at all on the voter lists and were turned away. This was observed in Median Public School, (Precinct 12040, District #2) Sinje Public School (District #2) Kperneje (Precinct 12049), Tan Public School (Precinct 12055 District #1), Islamic Model School (Precinct 12064, District #2), Robertsport High School (Precinct 12063, District #2) and most notably in Tienii Public School (12008, District #3), Kingjor Town Hall (12018, District #2).
In the Islamic Model School, one lady with a valid voter card was allowed to vote after not being found on the voter list at any of the four polling places, which is a violation of the Election Law.
LEON is a Civil Society Organization launched in May 2017 and consist of four Liberian Civil Society Organizations. They are the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission (JPC), Liberia Crusaders for Peace (LCP), Federation of Liberia Youth (FLY) and National Union of Organizations for the Disabled (NUOD) with the goal of meaningfully contributing to democratization processes in Liberia.
The election was held on October 5, 2019 in the county.