The National Election Commission (NEC) has over the weekend declared senatorial candidates in five counties as winners of their respective counties in the just ended Special Senatorial Elections.
Those qualified as senators-elect are; Grand Bassa County’s incumbent senator, Nyongblee Kanga-Lawrence; incumbent Representative of District # 1 of Bomi County, Edwin Melvin Snowe; incumbent Representative of District # 2 in Bong County and current Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Prince Kermue Moye; former Superintendent of Rivercess County and one-time correspondent at Star Radio, Wellington Geevon Smith as well as former soccer star Jonathan Sogbie BoyCharles of River Gee County.
Making the disclosure over the weekend at her NEC head office in Congo Town, NEC’s chairperson, Davidetta Brown-Lansanah said Sen. Kanga-Lawrence, representing the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) obtained 22,476 constituting 42.01% of the entire votes accumulated in Grand Bassa County thereby emerging as winner.
Rep. Snowe, an independent candidate accumulated 16,476 totaling to 53.97% thereby retiring Sen. Sando Dazoe Johnson and his win in Bomi County signifies a by-election for District # 1 while Mr. Smith, also as independent candidate accumulated 3,284 votes amounting to 23.45% and this makes him the winner of the election in Rivercess County.
Bong County Rep. Moye, a CPP candidate who won with 39,337 votes constituting 51.28% will replace incumbent senator, Henry Willie Yallah and this is also a vacuum created for a by-election in District #2 in the Bong County.
The former Liberian player, ‘Boye Charles’ representing the CPP in River Gee County defeated incumbent senator Matthew Jaye by accumulating 4,972 votes totaling 33.95%.
However, minutes after the pronouncement by the NEC on Sunday, Deputy House Speaker Moye official Facebook page read, “Fellow Bongese, we feel exceedingly elated, grateful, and humbled by the overwhelming support we received across the county and subsequently becoming the winner in the end.”
“The election is over, Bong County has won. Let’s put aside our political differences and work collectively for the common good of Bong. Thanks a million; Bongese, we will not fail you!” the senator-elect expressed.
The political leader of the Liberty Party, a collaborating party in the CPP and the lone incumbent female senator Karnga-Lawrence said on her Facebook Page, “Counting concluded at NEC oooo, da me na suppose to be senator? I too big for that thing!”
“54.0% of the total votes cast. This is unprecedented in recent legislative politics. We are now senator elect for Bomi County. NEC has faithfully discharged her responsibility as manifested by the people’s votes. Once more the people of Bomi have placed their hands on the arc of history and bent it a better direction they have proven beyond doubts that they are ready for positive change. They have demonstrated that tribal politics can never outshine tangible developments which they yearn for. They have expressed gratitude for the level of work we have done in a relative small period. People, I am humbled, honored and grateful. I will work with you in putting Bomi County on par with other developed counties, we can achieve this together. Congratulations to the people of Bomi County,” Snowe said on his Facebook wall on Saturday, December 12.
While on her Instagram post, Vice President, Jewel Howard Taylor said, “No one can overturn the will of the people.”
Meanwhile, the NEC is expected to release more election results on today as tallying in Lofa, Sinoe, Grand Cape Mount, Montserrado, Margibi, Maryland and Grand Kru Counties are all nearing completion though many are eager to hear results from the just ended contested national referendum process.
The NEC has also announced the resumption of the voting exercise on tomorrow to conclude the electoral process in the parts of Gbarpolu, Grand Gedeh and Nimba Counties that encountered several challenges ranging from lack of electoral staffers to seizing of ballot boxes by the town chief.
Though the NEC boss assured that investigations into the challenges that ensued on the election- day in the three affected counties would have been conducted and findings will be released to the public, she urged the public to be patient.
Making the disclosure of last Wednesday when the NEC began announcing the tallying of votes across the county, Madam Brown-Lansanah admitted that 2, 021 electorates in Gbarpolu County electoral District # 3, were prevented from casting their ballots in four of the polling places at the said precinct because the town chief had seized the ballot boxes.
In upper Nimba County electoral district # 2, she said about 706 persons were disenfranchised from casting their ballots while in lower Nimba additional 290 eligible voters in district # 2 were also denied due to the lack of polling staffers at those precincts.
Also, at the Tappita Memorial School, the NEC boss disclosed that two of the NEC’s temporary staff confiscated the ballot boxes with the original seal to another location claiming for ‘safety’ and in Grand Gedeh County electoral district # 3 at a public school consisting of 430 registered voters, electorates did not vote due to instructions from their kinsmen that the ballot papers did not bear the name of the county.