NEC Declares Re-Run In District 15 …But CDC Rejects

By Alex Yomah

The National Elections Commission through its Chief Elections Dispute Hearing officer, Munah Ville, has declared a re-run in District #15 specifically in six (6) polling places. Cllr. Munah Ville and his team of lawyers’ decision followed arguments and counters in five separate complaints filed by Candidate Telia Urey of All Liberian Party (ALP) and her team in which she craves the indulgence of the Dispute officer to nullify votes from the six polling places.
In handling down the ruling, Cllr. Ville said, the complainant (Telia Urey) could not establish accusation of flaw or ill-regularities but said, the Hearing officer denied respondent’s arguments for actions which prompted complainant agitation and therefore reached a decision to call for rerun.
The Chief Elections Dispute Officer has ,however, declared rerun of the by-election within 10 days in polling places; #3188, #3132, #3135, # 3136, # 31888 and among others to be conducted within ten days.
Following the reading of the final ruling, lawyers representing Abu Kamara took exception to seek further redress.
Speaking to reporters minutes after the handling down of the ruling, Atty. Kunkun Yon Wleh said the ruling will be nullified noting that it does not represent any electioneering legal practices.
“calling for rerun of an election where the complainant cannot prove her case is a contradiction because part of the case, the hearing officer said, she did not prove her case, but regrettably, Cllr. Ville ruled that there should be a rerun -that is a big contradiction,” he said.
According to Atty. Wleh, it was so unbelievable to him, that something will happen at a tally center and ruling says, there was nothing wrong in that tally centers to the extent that those votes from that centers were counted.
contrarily, he indicated that ruling from the chief Election Dispute Officer ruled that there should be rerun in a case that has no flaw established by the complainant.
Meanwhile, ruling Coalition for Democratic Change has rejected the ruling, stating that the re-run ruling is unacceptable.
Mulbah Morlu addressing press conference minutes after the ruling accused NEC of playing gimmick with ruling party, a situation he said will not be accepted .
He said as far the party is concerned, Abu Kamara won the election. He said there were five complaints filed against Darius Dillon, who has been declared the winner of the senatorial by-election, , noting that Commissioners did not probe and declared Darious Dillon winner but when it came to CDC, his votes accrued from the party’s votes rich centers were quarantined by NEC only because someone complains about a tally center.