A group of senior students under the banner ‘Team Tarlue’ is calling on the administration of the Cuttington University School of Graduate and Professional Studies to intervene in its just-ended electoral process which according to them is marred by frauds and intimidation.
According to Team Tarlue, one of the two parties that took part in the university students’ election, they are requesting for a re-run of the process in order to save the image and secrecy of the institution.
In its explanation through a communication to the administration, the group said in the final meeting with the parties and the Election Commission headed by Jefferson M. Karkor on February 6, 2021, a freshman student from the Education College agreed that the poll would be opened at 9:00 A.M. and closed at 6:00 P.M. under the watch of a representative from the National Elections Commission (NEC).
Team Tarlue asserted that some voters gathered as early as 8:00 A.M. to cast their ballots but in violation of the election guidelines, the election chairperson student Karkor arrived at about 11:20 A.M and opened the poll at about 11:40m A.M. at which time other voters allegedly from Team Tarlue had already left.
Another allegation raised by the group which according to them exhibits unethical behavior was that in the voting room where representatives of parties and observers were present, Mr. Christopher Swaray, an Instructor of Occupational Health who has Mr. Daniel Nyonkor as his Teacher-Assistant (TA) and the other candidates, Mr. Swaray used his presence to intimidate students from the Science College with words like “Students of Science College be mindful of your votes because this is our time.”
“Instead of bringing a representative from the NEC, the students’ election commissioner Karkor brought in a student from the University of Liberia to help conduct the election and hurriedly closed the poll at 6:00 P.M thereby depriving some voters who appeared three to five minutes late the opportunity to cast their vote with the intention that the lost hours were going to be added and most of whom are from the Team Tarlue’s camp,” the group stated.