-NEC ordered to probe LP fraud claims
By our Reporter
Liberia’s Supreme Court on Monday ruled that the National Elections Commission (NEC) must probe claims of election fraud and irregularities, before any runoff presidential polls can be held.
The high court said the electoral body has been “wrongly and illegally” carrying out activities to hold the runoff presidential election slated for Tuesday, November 7, 2017.
The Court announced its ruling on Monday, November 6 into the legal challenged filed by the opposition Liberty Party (LP) of Charles Brumskine, whose lawsuit has been backed by the ruling Unity Party (UP) candidate incumbent Vice President Joseph Boakai.
If the high court had not issue an alternative writ of prohibition last week, the runoff between the main opposition presidential candidate George Weah of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and UP’s Boakai.
Both men got the two highest votes of 38% and 28.8% respectively, with none of them being able to get the required absolute majority of 50% plus one vote.
Two other parties—All Liberian Party (ALP) and the Alternative National Congress (ANC) are also supporting LP’s complaint, which is not only calling for a halt to the scheduled November 7 runoff, but that the highest court in Liberia should cancel the first round and hold a rerun.
Chief Justice Francis Korkpor in the court’s ruling said NEC should fully investigate the LP’s complaint and come up with its findings.
Even before the Supreme Court’s latest ruling, NEC’s Chairman Jerome Korkoya knew the November 7 date was not tenable when he said “the loss of today due to the Order already means the 7 November 2017 date that was set for the runoff presidential elections does not look possible to meet.”
Under Liberian law and the constitution, decisions reached by NEC’s Board of Commissioners after a complaint is heard can later be taken to the Supreme Court on appeal.
Meanwhile, one of the lawyers representing the NEC, Cllr. Musa Dean said following the ruling that “the highest court of the land has spoken, and we will begin to act immediately.