Several incumbent and would-be representative aspirants in the pending Presidential and Legislative Elections scheduled for Tuesday, October 10 polls are being accused of trucking voters from one district to another and from county to county nationwide.
Among those accused are Sinoe County’s Electoral District 3 Representative, Matthew Zarzar; Montserrado County’s Electoral Districts 5 and 17 Representatives, Thomas Fallah and Hassan Kiazolu and Nimba County’s Electoral District 8 Representative, Larry Nyanquoi.
Others are Representatives George Samah and Yekeh Kolubah of Electoral Districts 12 and 10 of Montserrado County and many more respectively.
Zarzar is been accused of trucking voters from Grand Gedeh to Sinoe; Fallah the same from Montserrado to Lofa; Nyanquoi from other districts to his district in Nimba County; and Kiazolu from Montserrado to Grand Cape Mount County.
While Kolubah and Samah from some communities and districts to theirs in Montserrado County during the phase one of the Biometric Voters Registration (BVR) exercise last month.
Also, accused are some would-be representative aspirants like James Somah. He was allegedly trucking voters from district 1(Ganta) to district 5(Buuyal or Buutuo), Nimba County, when one of the vehicles hired was involved in an accident killing four persons and injuring dozens on the highway.
Accused also are Prince Towah, Saint Johns, Melvin Garpeh and many more in electoral district 8, Nimba County. There are dozens of would-be newcomers or aspirants up to 15 including Journalist Jonathan Paye-laleh who are vying to unseat incumbent Representative, Larry Nyanquoi.
But some of the accused have disclaimed the allegations stating that there is no evidence to be proven of their involvement in trucking. Notwithstanding, said Mathew Zarzar, they are helping some of their people who have decided of return to their home town to get registered.
However, it is not known what will be the punishment if those accused are investigated and perhaps found guilty with proven evidence beginning Friday, May 5 when the National Elections Commission (NEC) shall look into reports of voters trucking during the BVR exercise nationwide.
Last week, NEC warned registered political parties, coalitions, alliances, would-be aspirants that the campaign period for the 2023 Presidential and Legislative Elections, as published by the Commission, begins from August to October 8, 2023.
The commission believe that is in pursuant to section 2.9(h) of the 1986 Elections Law, which states, in essential part, the commission shall “formulate and enforce guidelines controlling the conduct of all elections for elective public offices,” the commission as of Friday, May 5, 2023, will begin the documentation of violations and consistent with the due process apply the appropriate actions against non-compliance as in keeping with the revised campaign guidelines.
Hence, NEC stated that any campaign activities done prior to the campaigning period is considered pre-campaigning, and is punishable by a fine not less than US$1, 000 nor more than US$ 5, 000 or its equivalent in Liberian Dollars, payable into government’s revenue.
Nevertheless, observers are wondering whether the commission will document those reported pre-campaigning or voters trucking activities before Friday, May 5 or only beginning from said date as they are waiting to see the first culprit or violator that will be the first example on as per the guideline.
Though voters trucking is not the only violation, if the NEC even have anything as voters trucking crime in its law, but pre campaigning could look at the early erection of bill boards by aspirants and even outgoing elected officials; that is from the presidency to the Representatives.
