IPNEWS: In late October 2023, the Campaign Teams of presidential candidates, Alexander Benedict Cummings and Dr. Clarence Moniba accused the National Elections Commission (NEC) of deliberately underreporting their respective candidates’ votes.

The allegations were made in separate statements by both candidates’ Campaign Teams during the weekend, highlighted claims of foul play on the part of the electoral body.

The Cummings Campaign Team claimed that the “ridiculously low” numbers being reported by the NEC do not reflect the actual numbers that Cummings has received.

“The Campaign Committee to elect Cummings President of Liberia is alarmed by the reported numbers the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) presidential ticket is said to have received so far,” Lewis Brown, the National Campaign Chairman for Cummings, said in a statement on October 12.
“While we are still assessing the results at this point, it’s important that we flag as a major issue of concern the clear pattern that is emerging across the country,” Brown added. Partisans and supporters of the Collaborating Political Parties from all across the country are informing us of troubling concerns that places where they voted, including in large numbers, are reporting ridiculously low numbers for Cummings. This is also true where CPP down-ballot candidates are projected to win.”

Similarly, the Moniba’s Campaign Team, in a separate statement, alleged a pattern of underreporting of their candidate’s votes, especially in areas where they had received overwhelming support from their supporters.

Moniba’s Campaign Chair, Lloyd Scott, explained that the alleged “discrepancies are a deliberate attempt to suppress their candidate’s electoral prospects.”
“Ensuring the validity of the vote count, one reflective of the true will of the Liberian people on October 10, remains the primary concern of the ‘A New Liberia’ movement under the candidacy of Moniba and Grace Kpaan,” Scott added.

“It is a process to which we remain fully committed and one from which we will not flinch,” it said.

“The Moniba/Kpaan campaign is alerted to serious concerns emanating from the vote counts released so far by the National Elections Commission. Without now issuing a final ruling on the authenticity of these initial results, they do raise serious concerns as polling centers in which our partisans and campaign staff voted in credible numbers, but the report is not reflective of any partisans or supporters voting for our ticket,” he claimed.

The statements from the Cummings and Moniba campaign teams come as they trail the two frontrunners of the October 10 polls by a wider margin.

Subsequently, three Liberian opposition political parties issued a joint statement calling for forensic examination of the Presidential ballots which put the Ruling Coalition for Democratic Change of President George Weah and Unity Party of ex-Vice President Joseph Boakai in the run-off.

The Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) of Mr. Alexander Cummings, the African Liberation League of Sara Beysolow Nyanti and Dr. Clarence Moniba of the Liberia National Union have written the National Elections Commission (NEC) expressing serious misbelief over the outcome of the 2023 elections results.

In their letter to the NEC and signed by the three Political Leaders, it said many Liberians, including partisans, supporters and well-wishers are concerned about the results of the Presidential poll for which they want the NEC not to destroy the used and unused ballots after the announcement of the final results for forensic examination.

While thanking the NEC for conducting the 2023 elections, the three parties noted, however, that if there is disbelief or doubt over the outcome of the elections, especially the Presidential results, it is necessary for such disbelief and doubt to be cleared by the conduct of a forensic examination of the October poll ballots.

The Parties said they believe that the forensic examination of the ballots, which will be at no cost to the NEC, will give the needed assurance to the Liberian people about the fairness and transparency of the October 10 poll.

Now, defeated presidential candidate Dr. Clarence Moniba has joined CPP Alexander B. Cummings stating that he will not endorse any of the two rival presidential candidates going to the 14 November 2023 run-off.

Moniba lamented Tuesday, 7 November 2023 that the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and the opposition Unity Party (UP) which are headed to the run-off have been in control for the past 18 years.

“CDC and UP who were both in the runoffs in 2005, 2011, and 2017, have come to us again with promises and the message of change,” Moniba said in a statement issued in Monrovia.

Dr. Moniba who contested on the Liberia National Union (LINU) presidential ticket secured 5,298 of the total votes cast in the October presidential election or 0.29 percent.

For the run-off, he said it is not about him picking a side, but it is about the people of Liberia demanding that CDC or UP does a better job in leading this country than they had for the past 18 years.

“Therefore, as the people of Liberia did on Oct 10, we will again listen to the people of Liberia, and anyone that is chosen to lead Liberia, will be our President,” he said.

“Therefore, we will not be endorsing any particular party because of where we are as a nation. We are divided enough, people have already died because of these elections, properties have been destroyed and families have been broken,” he noted.

He stated that Liberia is still way behind the other countries that are way behind, and as all of this has been happening, the two parties that have been in control for the past 18 years have come to again with promises and the message of change.

“But how can we truly say that we want to change Liberia, when we continue to vote the same two political parties?” he wondered.

Dr. Moniba stated that what he hopes and prays for in 2023 and going forward, is that Liberia, in the near future, becomes a great country.

“But in order to do so, we have to demand more from our leaders…it is not good enough to vote for someone because they are popular, or because it is their time,” he cautioned Liberians.

The LINU leader recalled that on 10 October 2023, the people of Liberia decided that at this moment in the country’s history, it was not his time to lead.

He said he accepts this fact, knowing that he has a lot of work to do over the next six years to earn the trust and support of the Liberian people.

“We are committed to this journey and can promise all listening, that we will work towards Liberia’s transformation,” Dr. Moniba assured Liberians.

Since the announcement of the results, he said he has consulted with both parties, where he laid out a set of preconditions for his support.

According to Dr. Moniba, the preconditions include the construction of the Salayea to Foya Road in Lofa, the Sanniquelle to Zwedru Road stretching from Nimba to Grand Gedeh, the completion of the Robertsports Road in Cape Mount, and the Buchannan, to RiverCess Road.

“We also asked that plans be made to build technical and vocational colleges in every county capital. Several other policies for which we ran on, were put forward,” he explained.

He detailed that the policies include the refurbishment of all government hospitals, beginning with JFK and Jackson F. Doe, as well as better training and salaries for our nurses and doctors.

“Discussions also centered on better support, in terms of salary, training, and equipment, for the security and judiciary as we fight corruption, crime, and drugs in the country,” Dr. Moniba continued.