Liberia: Electoral commission dismisses election fraud claims Nov. 20 /update 9

Event

On Monday, November 21, the National Elections Commission (NEC) rejected allegations of electoral fraud in the October 10 first-round presidential elections. The complaints had been lodged in late October by the Unity Party and the Liberty Party. However, the NEC has not yet announced a date for the second round of the election, which was suspended until further notice to allow the electoral commission to investigate the claims of fraud. The second round of voting was originally scheduled for November 7.

Political rallies, protests, and related traffic disruptions are likely in the coming days and weeks, surrounding both the NEC ruling as well as in the lead-up to the second-round vote.

Context

On October 10, voters took to the polls to choose a successor to current President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The vote was held without incident. As none of the candidates secured more than 50 percent of the votes in the first round, former football player George Weah and Vice President Joseph Boaki had been set to face off in the second round of voting on November 7.

While international observers did not report any major problems with the October 10 election, reports of alleged irregularities (e.g. late opening of polls, allegations of fraud, etc.) quickly emerged. The Liberty Party first filed a formal complaint with the NEC on October 23. On October 30, the ruling Unity Party joined the Liberty Party and the All Liberian Party in filing a complaint with the NEC, demanding that the October 10 vote be annulled. In a statement released by the three political parties, President Johnson Sirleaf, of the Unity Party, was accused of interfering with the results of the elections by privately meeting with election officials.

Advice

Individuals present in Liberia are advised to monitor local news and to avoid any political rallies or protests, as violence may flare up without warning.