IPNews-Monrovia: Unofficial results from Thursday’s, January 7, 2021, rerun midterm Senatorial election in Gbarpolu County, says independent candidate Boto Konneh, has emerged winner.
According to IPNEws reporter covering the midterm elections, says Botoe Kenneh obtained a total votes of 4,955, while her closest rival, Alfred Koiwood, of the Coalition for Democratic Change-CDC obtained a total votes of 4,489.
The rerun of the Gbarpolu County midterm election, specifically in Datando town, electoral district number three, Gbarpolu County, occurred after Traditional Devil (country devil), disrupted election process on election day by making away with ballot boxes intended for the polls during the December 8, 2020, midterm Senatorial elections.
The action by the Traditional devil sparked outage from Civil society organization and Opposition Political Parties, seeking to block alleged attempts by progovernment actors to influence the outcome of the midterm elections.
The Chairperson of the National Elections Commission Davidetta Browne Lansannah, disclosed during that period that voting could not take place in four different polling place across the Country due to challenges.
Providing the first post Election update at the Headquarters in Sinkor, Madam Lansannah named Upper and Lower Nimba, Gbarpolu and Grand Gedeh Counties as Counties where the NEC did not conduct polls.
The NEC chairperson stated that the reasons for not conducting the polls, specifically, In Gbarpolu County, at a polling center in Electoral District 3, at the Nomodatanau Town Hall, after a Town Chief seized ballot boxes thereby denying eligible voters the right to exercise their franchise,Noting that investigation into the matter would be conducted soon as they have plan to send in the area an assessment team to find out the actual facts surrounding the situation.
However, IPNews has sought the outcome of the investigation from NEC officials but to no avail before Thursday’s, January 7, 2021, rerun exercise.
During the process, IPNews obtained leaked audio of Gbarpolu county Superintendent, J Keyah Saah, ordering all commissioners in Gbarpolu County to ensure today’s election in Normor Datando is a victory for the CDC candidate Representative Afred Koiwood.
According to the leaked audio, Superintendent Saah, told an unknown man during a conversation that he has been instructed by President George Weah to convey the mandate or failure to ensure a victory for the CDC candidate all the names of Commissioners in Gbarpolu County, will be deleted from the Government of Liberia payroll.
“I am telling you now as the Superintendent of Gbarpolu County, that President Weah is not happy with you all.”
“Tell them to open the boarder and let our Sierra Leon brothers and sisters come in and vote for our candidate. We are serious and I want you to go and tell them now that if they do not ensure their people vote Hon. Alfred Koiwood, we will delete thier names from the payroll.” Superintendent J Keyah Saah narrated.
There has been no immediate response from the Executive Mansion on the authenticity of Superintendent Gbowee’s allegation linking President George Weah to intimidation and threats of dismissal of Commissioners in Gbarpolu County, in a heavily contested midterm elections.
However, in a Sunday, December 13,2020, nationwide broadcast to the Nation, President George Weah called on losers of the midterm Senatorial elections to accept the results and move Liberia forward.
The Liberia leader lauded Liberians on a historic role they’ve played in setting a renew Democratic credential following years civil wars.
President Weah challenged all to remain committed to peace and avoid being used by others for selfish political interest.
As discussions were been held, election violence broke up in Normor, Gbarpolu County, where the leading senatorial candidate in Gbarpolu, Madam Botoe Kanneh, was alleged to have being kidnapped to an unknown location.
The incident came following reports on Monday, December 14, of the release of a ‘country devil’ in Normor Datando town, electoral district number three, Gbarpolu County, which has renewed electoral tensions ahead of the midterm senatorial election, where was previously scheduled for Tuesday, December 15, 2020.
On September 14, 2020, Madam Kanneh stated that the election might not be free and fair because the local authorities have decided to put the country devil out during the conduct of the election.
It can recalled that on Sunday, December 13, 2020, there was a renewed electoral tension in Normor when two Candidates attempted to enter the town ahead of the Tuesday schedule. The CPP Candidate Sam K. Zinnah and Madam Kanneh, an Independent Candidate and their supporters were stopped by Liberia Immigration Services (LIS) officers from entering the town.
Supporters of both Zinnah and Kanneh were seen or heard demanding access to the town on grounds that the CDC candidate, Hon. Alfred G. Koiwood, had his team in Normor holding secret meetings while at the same time denying other candidates access to the town. One of the aggrieved supporters of Candidate Botoe Kanneh named several persons from the Camp of Hon. Koiwood that were already in Nomor town.
Nomor Datando is believed to have more than 2,000 registered voters which, Zinnah says, is crucial enough to potentially steal the election from Madam Kanneh, who is currently the leading candidate in the election with 4,722 votes. Zinnah has already pledged his support to help Kanneh finish the race.
“It happened in Normor, where the polling center is located. We were denied entrance yesterday because the security claimed that we were candidates. But I noticed that the decision was not right because they were allowing the candidate of the Congress for Democratic (CDC) entrance in to the town,” Madam Kanneh said.
According to her, she left Normor to stay in a nearby town as the result of the restriction from the state security.
“But we later learnt that the ballot box at the polling center in Normor was tampered with. The name of CDC candidate, from information gathered, has been marked on the ballot box,” she alleged, adding that where the ballot boxes are where is where the CDC candidate slept.
“Somebody told me that the election that is going on is no use to me because the election has been marked with the CDC candidate’s name,” she added
