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Liberia: Liberty Party Violates Electoral Laws, Says NEC
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The Analyst (Monrovia)
2 April 2008
Posted to the web 2 April 2008
The National Elections Commission (NEC) says it has found the Liberty Party in violation of certain electoral laws by its utterances and actions during the recent by-elections in Margibi County #4, Grand Bassa County and Nimba County #6, and has imposed a fine of the Liberian dollar equivalent of US$2, 500 on the party.
In a ruling handed down by the Hearing Officer, Cllr. Augustine Fayiah, the Commission found the party in violation of Chapter 10, Section 18 of the New Elections Law of 1986.
"Failure by a candidate, or a political party to file and prosecute an election contest, and after the expiration of tie time allowed to do so, resort to the dissemination of propaganda by commending on the election in any manner or form intending to discredit its results to which no contest or protest had been filed, constitutes an election offence," it quoted the law as saying.
Apart from that, Hearing Officer Cllr. Fayiah also ruled that the Liberty Party violated Chapter 4 Section 9, Subsection 2 of the New Elections Law of 1986 during the recent by-election in Margibi County.
"Any party representative or representative of any independent candidate attending any polling place shall not speak to any voter; shall not attempt to see how a voter cast his vote, and shall obey all lawful instructions from the sheriff of the polling place," NEC quoted the laws.
According to the NEC Hearing Officer, the Liberty Party, by its action in the recent by-election in Margibi County District #4 held on February 12, 2008 (the first round) also violated Subsections d and f pf the Code of Conduct of Political Party Representative.
NEC says it has forwarded its ruling to Liberty Party on March 31, 2008. Ordering the party to pay the stipulated fine within 72 hours into government revenue and present an official receipt to the Finance Section of NEC, it noted that any failure could lead to the suspension of the party's operations.
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There was no official word from the party up to press time, but it may be recalled that it (party) accused the NEC of cheating and even called on its Chairman, James Fromoyan to resign.
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