Liberia's Elections Commission Chair James Fromoyan

Liberia’s National Elections Commission, NEC has dismissed its Director for Information and Outreach Bobby Livingstone for error in a communication to the Congress for Democratic Change, CDC of Cllr. Winston Tubman. The commission also suspended the Deputy Nathan Mulbah with a six month suspension with immediate effect.

NEC Chair James Fromoyan signed a communication dated October 25, 2011 to the two political parties (UP and CDC) notifying them about their qualification for the runoff but swapped the figures the two parties accumulated. The situation prompted the Congress for Democratic Change, CDC to claim foul play in the electoral process. CDC has been in persistent calls for President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to replace Chariman Fromoyan. Madam Sirleaf, a Nobel Prize Laureate said she needs justifiable reasons for the CDC calls.

“To err is human” and the NEC is honestly wishes to acknowledge and error that was made in the notice to the CDC”. Chairman Fromoyan told journalists at a news conference today.

NEC boss said the Public Information Section of the commission drafted the letter. Following the realization of the error the Public Information Section which Mr. Livingstone heads, was instructed to make corrections which they neglected. “Instead, they by-passed the system and inserted the documents in question among several documents that were presented to the Chairman for signature” the Chairman intimated.

Though he said he cannot rule out sabotage from the situation, one may wonder why should the boss of an institution sign a letter without a slightest thought of its content.

The error according to Mr. Fromoyan, does not in any way change the total number of valid votes obtained by the ruling Unity Party, UP which is 530,020 or 43.9% and the Congress for Democratic Change which obtained 394,370 or 32.7% as has been previously announced by the commission and posted on NEC’s website.

Unity Party and Congress for Democratic Change qualifies for Liberia’s runoff elections slated for November 8, 2011. The both parties are among the 16 political parties Liberians went to the polls to elect on October 11, 2011 but none got the required 50% plus one vote to win the presidency according to the constitution of Liberia.

-30-

 

Advertisement