By C. Winnie Saywah-Jimmy
Dan Morias, one of the six contending candidates in the just ended senatorial election in Maryland County, says in as much as he respects the Supreme Court, he disagrees with its opinion and will therefore seek redress at the ECOWAS Court.
The ousted senator said that since the Supreme Court has refused to accept his application to review the complaints of election irregularities expressed by some of his supporters, he is left dumbfounded and has nothing to tell his supporters who are in dire need of redress therefore he will seek other avenues for closure to justice.
“There is a culture of violence that is being embraced by this administration in the country. On Dec. 9, I was called by the NEC and the Supreme Court that my supporters were at the verge of causing disturbances, so I then begged my people to respect the rule of law with the assurance of getting redress,” he explained.
Morias’ action according to him stems from a petition he revealed containing claims that some of his supporters, who are quoting Article 17 of the Liberian Constitution among other things, have said that they are being cheated and were therefore buttressing the contending candidates’ complaint that there were several irregularities and are calling on the NEC for a re-run in Maryland County.
Morias, also one of the longest serving lawmaker, said his supporters presented to him their petition so he was under obligation to submit same to the Commission regarding their dissatisfaction over the election that took place on December 8, 2020.
In that petition, the supporters brought to the attention of the NEC issues that the magistrate was transferred two days before the election without any notice to the candidates and political parties; ballot boxes were transported at night; there were no lights and polling workers had to use phone lights given room for cheating and that sample ballot papers were not printed to educate citizens about the position of their candidates, for which they want a re-run of the process.
Mr. Morias who provided a narrative on the matter that was before the Supreme Court and redirected to the NEC to take seize of it and grant him his package as a candidate of the CDC in Maryland County wondered how he can be the victim when the matter had not been heard as instructed by the Commission.
He explained that the NEC cleared him as an independent candidate and presented the package for the CDC candidate to the senator-elect, James Biney indicating that the Supreme Court did not follow-up on its decision with the NEC to ensure that its mandate was implemented.
He said he has written and delivered a letter informing the Supreme Court that it has taken sides in the matter because it is confusing that how can the high court rule in his favour yet, accepts that someone else was presented the package to contest on the party’s ticket.
Morias said the NEC cannot act on its own because what is happening in his case is political saying Liberia has become a partisan state which is sad for the forward march of the country that even when cases are taken to the National Elections Commission, they are looked at as a partisan situation.
The senator said he has been on a sound political trajectory but this is not about him being desperate to be retained as a senator rather it is to ensure that the over 500 supporters get the appropriate redress because it is his rights that were violated.
He said as far as he is concerned, the case had not been heard because all they have gotten are excuses because initially what they had asked from the NEC was the interpretation of the framework document and that has not been answered.