The ruling Unity Party (UP) has retorted to inundating  claims that it is involved in votes buying from voters and described same as ‘baseless and unfounded, famous words often used by politicians and ordinary people to denounce and deny allegations made against them or their institutions.

Claims and counterclaims over the issue of voter cards being purchased by the UP in a bid to win the pending Senatorial By-election have become topical in many quarters as the Election Day approaches, but the party has strongly rejected such claims, terming them as ‘baseless’ and ‘unfounded’.

Reacting angrily to allegations of voter cards buying, UP Secretary General Henry Fahnbulleh told a news conference Wednesday that Representative Regina Teah of the Congress for Democratic Change was spreading misinformation about the Unity Party. He said Rep. Teah held a hastily arranged press conference recently during which she alleged that the ruling Unity Party and foot-soldiers were buying votes.

“The party denounces and condemns this allegation in its strongest term. It is out of basis and unfound,” he said.

Fahnbulleh said the Unity Party was not engaged in any vote buying. “Our task now is to make sure that we nurture the sort of democratic spirits that we need since we were elected in 2006, and maybe this gives the reason why such allegations are being levied against the UP” he added.

“The unity party is not in the business of buying voter registration cards, and are not in the business of trying to influence or dis-infrachise any Liberian. The party’s mandate is to encourage a huge turnout, as has been involved in voters’ education exercises. As a matter of fact, while our team is out on the field to sensitize the voters as to how to vote when the voting time comes.

herefore, it is our responsibility as a political party to make sure that we educate our voters. And at the same time, we try to make sure that they vote rightly or wisely and vote for the unity party,” the UP Secretary General said in a proud tone. He said the CDC, one of its main opponents in political sense, which made the allegation, has nothing substantial to offer or provide to the electorates, and that’s why it is making “empty noise”.

According to Fahnbulleh, his party’s goal is to ensure that the campaign is won base on the merits of honesty, base on everything they put in to it, and that they have managed to convinced voters on their side.

“We are very much encouraged with the level of progress the campaign has reached so far for us as a ruling party,” he said.

Turning to Clemenceau Urey’s campaign to elect him as senator for Montserrado County, the UP SG said, the campaign is progressing well, and that their strategy is to go out to the votes, build and keep the momentum up to November 10, 2009.

“This campaign process is quiet and different from what we did in the past. We have foot soldiers that are now driving this campaign process with a mandate to produce about 70,000 more eligible voters. The process is in every district,” he said.

Fahnbulleh said, the foot soldiers are also liaising with existing structures, because the three constituent political parties including the Unity Party, the Liberian Unification Party and the Liberia Action Party are collaborating, adding that the existing structures of these parties are also at the center of the campaign in addition to the foot soldiers.

Commenting on an incidence that occurred on Wednesday, Nov 4, 2009 in District # 7, he said the Chairman for Mobilization for the Unity Party, Oscar Cooper while giving out resources and logistics to the foot soldiers, was attacked by those he called thugs and supporters of the CDC, seized their files and ran to their District Headquarters to report to Representative Thomas Fallah.

The Up, he said, condemned the act of harassment and intimidation orchestrated and executed by those he called thugs or supporters of the CDC and assured that such act will not be repeated as they have taken some corrective measures to prevent a reoccurrence of such attacks.

“The reason for attacking the Unity Party foot soldiers and campaign workers is quiet obvious, but we think that their striving has overwhelmed the opposition to the extent that they have become very desperate in areas that they referred to as their traditional strong holds,” he braggingly said.