By William Selmah, wselmah@gmail.com
The National Elections Commission (NEC) says there is no need for political parties to harbor fear over the printing of excess ballot papers.
There have been public apprehensions that the surplus papers could be used to manipulate election results.
But NEC Chairman Jerome Korkoyah told a regular news conference Wednesday in Monrovia, that the excess ballots were for contingency purposes and in line with international best practice.
He recommitted the commission to the holding of free, fair and credible elections in the ongoing process, while assuring that all unused ballot papers would be accounted for.
Korkoyah also used the occasion to clear the air over a recent meeting President Sirleaf held with him along with 19 election magistrates at her private residence in Monrovia.
The meeting was criticized by Sirleaf’s own ruling Unity Party and other opposition politicians including her former Internal Affairs Minister Blamo Nelson and Senator Prince Y. Johnson, who is one of the 20 presidential candidates in the ongoing race.
They said the unannounced meeting at the President’s private residence raised lots of suspicions about possible interference that could affect the outcome of the October 10 polls.
Prince Johnson, a former leader of the rebel Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL) said he had no doubt that the meeting had sinister design and that President Sirleaf was gaming with the electoral process.
But the NEC Chairman rubbished the accusations, vowing to have another meeting with President if it becomes necessary. He said the national electoral body is independent but it’s an agency of government that is being funded by the very government.
Korkoya said the NEC would continue to have discussions aimed at strengthening and advancing the electioneering process as often as required with the president.
Twenty candidates, including incumbent Vice President Joseph Boakai, former Liberian international football star George Weah and one woman candidate Macdella Cooper are vying for the presidency.
Hundreds of others are running to fill the country’s 73-member House of Representatives in next Tuesday’s polls.