By our Reporter
Polls have closed at many voting points across Liberia, but others have been opened late into the night beyond the 6PM deadline set due to some technical hitches.
The head of the National Elections Commission (NEC) Jerome Korkoya said all those in the queue by the 6PM deadline were being allowed to cast their ballots.
But our reporters covering Monrovia and other parts say some of the polling centers had completed balloting well ahead of 6PM and were only waiting for the deadline to begin pre vote counting activities.
Some independent election observers reported that the balloting passed off peacefully with a predicted high turnout of the 2.1 million registered voters> They are voting the replacement of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who is close to completing 12 years of her two-term constitutional limit.
In a press statement Tuesday evening, the local elections watchdog group, Elections Coordinating Committee, ECC said it was pleased with the peaceful conduct of the polls and the level of voter turnout.
Some of the voters, who included suckling mothers and pregnant women, began queuing as early as 5:00 A.M. to cast their ballots in Monrovia and other parts of the country and polls opened at 8:00 A.M. The newspublictrust.com reporters said the situation at many polling centers was calm, while in some areas voting took off on a slow start.
The process kicked off at a slow pace at some centers, as a number of voters showed up with their voter cards but failed to see their names/photos on the voter roll.
In several other parts of Monrovia other parts of the country, there were reports that tampers were rising over delays and its suburbs, though minor disturbances were reported from some centers including the Sacred Heart Cathedral building between Ashmun and Broad Streets.
Deputy Police Director for Operations Abraham Kromah had to move in to quell what was developing into a chaotic scene at the Catholic center after scores of voters tried to break a barricade and force their way in order to vote ahead of others.
Some voters also spoke of being turned away by poll workers who told them that their names were not on the final voters’ roll.
But the Chairman of the National Elections Commission Cllr. Jerome Korkoyah told a news conference at NEC HQ in Monrovia Tuesday, that in their scrutiny of the of the provisional voters’ registration roll, they observed that some voters registered at two or more centers.
Korkoya further said that in such cases, only the last registration is retained, while the others are cancelled.
This in some instances explains why some voter’s names do not appear at a center they show up.
Liberians are choosing 73 new representatives and a successor to President Sirleaf, whose principal lieutenant, Vice President Joseph Boakai is among the main contenders for the top job.
Among those contesting the presidency are former football star George Weah, renowned lawyer Charles Brumskine, former Coca Cola former executive Alexander Commings, the lone female candidate Macdella Cooper,
Christian cleric, Alloysius Kpadeh, the incumbent vice President Joseph Boakai, among others.