Liberia: Oct. 10 election results to be challenged in Supreme Court /update 10

Event

On Sunday, November 26, the opposition Liberty Party and the ruling Unity Party announced that they will take their allegations of electoral fraud in the October 10 first-round presidential elections to the Supreme Court. The political parties have until Friday, December 1, to formally file a case with the court, after which time the Supreme Court has seven days to make a final ruling. The court’s decision will determine whether the second round of the election will take place in the near-term or if a rerun of the October 10 vote will first have to take place.

Political rallies, protests, and related traffic disruptions are likely in the coming days and weeks, in particular around the Supreme Court’s ruling and in the lead-up to a rerun election or the second-round vote.

Context

On October 10, voters took to the polls to choose a successor to current President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The vote was held without incident. As none of the candidates secured more than 50 percent of the votes in the first round, former football player George Weah and Vice President Joseph Boaki had been set to face off in the second round of voting on November 7.

However, while international observers did not report any major problems with the October 10 election, reports of alleged irregularities (e.g. late opening of polls, allegations of fraud, etc.) quickly emerged. The Liberty Party first filed a formal complaint with the National Electoral Commission on October 23. On October 30, the ruling Unity Party joined the Liberty Party and the All Liberian Party in filing a complaint with the NEC, demanding that the October 10 vote be annulled. The second-round of the election was suspended until further notice to allow the electoral commission to investigate the claims of fraud. On November 20, the NEC ruled that there was insufficient evidence of electoral fraud or irregularities to grant a rerun of the first-round vote, but did not announce a date for the second-round vote.

Advice

Individuals present in Liberia are advised to monitor local news and to avoid any political rallies or protests, as violence may flare up without warning.