Liberia court indefinitely delays presidential vote
Monrovia, (MILLAT ONLINE):The Supreme Court on Monday indefinitely delayed a vote for Liberia’s new president, over an opposition party complaint of electoral fraud, as the vice-president alleged the election was rigged in favour of his opponent.
The court decision throws Liberia’s first democratic transition in seven decades into uncertainty a day ahead of what was to have been the final round of voting to pick between former international footballer George Weah and incumbent vice-president Joseph Boakai.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Francis Korkpor said the National Elections Commission (NEC) was prohibited “from conducting the runoff election until the complaint filed by the petitioners is investigated,” referring to the opposition Liberty Party.
The two remaining candidates must therefore await the result of the ongoing NEC complaint by a party which neither man belongs to, as well as any Supreme Court appeal.
The whole process could take weeks.
The case was brought by Liberty Party presidential candidate Charles Brumksine, who came third in the first round of voting on October 10.
Brumksine alleges that ballot stuffing and false voter registration cards marred the election, claims backed up by Boakai who came second.
“The runoff was on condition that the irregularities that we observed would all be addressed adequately,” Boakai told AFP, repeating Brumskine’s call for the election commissioners to be replaced.
“This election was designed to be rigged,” he added.
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