Supreme Court Finally Rules: Opposition CPP’s Simeon Taylor To Be Certificated Senator

(Last Updated On: )

PHOTO: Simeon Taylor, Senator-elect

By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com

TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia- The Supreme Court of Liberia has today, Wednesday, August 11, 2021 finally ruled that the opposition CPP Senatorial candidate for Grand Cape Mount County, Simeon B. Taylor is the legitimate winner of the December 2020 Special election and should be certificated by the National Elections Commission (NEC).

CPP is a four-party group comprising the former ruling Unity Party, the Alternative National Congress, the Liberty Party and the All Liberian Party.

Liberia’s highest court ruled against the legal challenged put up against Mr. Taylor’s victory, which was affirmed by both the Cape Mount County Elections Magistrate and the NEC Board of Commissioners last month.

The opposition candidate and incumbent Senator Victor Watson filed an appeal to the Court against NEC’s victory verdict, claiming that there were irregularities and that Taylor and his family were involved in double registration and double voting as well as other irregularities during the December 8 polls.

Mr. Taylor won with a margin of 1,626 votes of the total votes.

L-R-Simeon-Taylor-and-Victor-Watson

In early July, at least two persons, believed to be Pro-Simeon Taylor’s supporters who were in jubilant celebrations, were injured in a violent outburst, following the National Election Commission (NEC) Board of Commission reaffirmed the victory of the opposition CPP candidate over incumbent Senator of Grand Cape Mount County, Victor Watson of the ruling CDC party.

NEC had earlier upheld the ruling of the Cape Mount Magistrate that Mr. Taylor was the legitimate winner of the December 2020 Special Senatorial election, dismissing the claim by Sen. Watson that Mr. Taylor committed electoral fraud, including engaging in double registration.

But the Watson side has taken exception to NEC’s second ruling affirming Taylor’s victory by announcing that they are taking an appeal to the Supreme Court of Liberia.

Following the Pronouncement of Senator-elect Simeon Boima Taylor’s victory, some supporters of Simeon’s Taylor gathered and paraded the streets of Kongo, banging pot tops and celebrating his victory as was done in other parts of Grand Cape Mount County.

Eye witnesses on the scene said, after supporters of Simeon Taylor paraded the street, they went to a local atayi shop banging their pot tops, something that angered some people said to be Senator Watson’s supporters, who allegedly began throwing stones into the crowd.

The situation, which furthered escalated, left several persons wounded. Mr. Morris Gray’s hand is said to have been broken during the chaos.

Details of Supreme Court Ruling

According to the Supreme Court Judgement, after they reviewed the records, heard arguments and contention advanced by the Counsels representing the parties, and considered the facts and laws cited and relied thereupon, it is hereby adjudged that whilst it is an offense under the New Election law(1986) for a voter to register twice; in the face of the National Election Commission’s (NEC) admission in this case that the name of Co-appellee Simeon B. Taylor appearing on the FRRs in Tahn and Lofa Bridge was due to error on the part of the NEC, and there was no intent shown that Co-appellee Simeon B. Taylor registered twice for the purpose of voting twice, we cannot impute any wrong doing to Co-appellee Simeon B.Taylor.

The Judgement of the high court further said that whilst there is evidence that Co-appellee Simeon B. Taylor, it was established that appeared twice on the FRRs of Tahn and Lofa Bridge, it was established that he only voted in Tahn in the December 8,2020, Special Senatorial Election.

It said that there is no evidence that individuals bearing the last name Taylor as found in the FRRs were family members of Co-appellee Simeon B. Taylor and that they registered and voted twice in the Special Senatorial Election held on December 8,2020, in Grand Cape Mount County; and even if such were the case, there is still no evidence that the alleged act was the knowledge and consent of Co-appellee Simeon B. Taylor.

The ruling further added that the appellant (Vactor Watson) failed to establish proof of pre-marked ballots, forgery of signatures on the Senate Record of Count and the stopping of its poll watcher from entering the polling stations.

That the law in this jurisdiction is that a reviewing court shall not substitute it’s judgement for that of an administrative agency as to the weight of the evidence on Questions of fact, unless substantial rights of the appellant have been prejudiced because the administrative findings, inferences, conclusion or the dicisions are clearly erroneous in view of the reliable, probative and substantial evidence on the whole records, which this court has not seen in this case.

WHEREFORE and in view of the foregoing, the final ruling of the Board of Commissioners of the National Election Commission declaring Co-appellee Simeon B. Taylor as the winner of the Special Senatorial Election, held on December 8,2020, in Grand Cape Mount County is hereby affirmed.

The merits of this case having been Dismissed on appeal, Co-appellee Simeon B. Taylor is orders forthwith certificated with Full Benefits and emoluments as if he were seated January 2021.

For his part, Senator Elect Simeon B. Taylor in an exclusive interview said said he is calling on Cape Mountains to reconcile and let everything go for good and Development of the county.

Senator elect Taylor has also called on former Senator Victor Watson to come board and work together for the common good of the County.

Meanwhile, Mr. Taylor said he expected the ruling in his favor because he didn’t do what he was alleged of.

Mr. Taylor was represented by Cllr. Benedict Sannoh while, CDC candidate Victor Watson was represented by Cllr. Arthur Johnson and Alhaji Swaliho A. Sessay and NEC was represented by Cllr. Wilkins M. Wrights.

You Might Be Interested In