The Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Nathaniel Falo McGill has been accused of been responsible for what is currently taken place where some opposition members were arrested, and the sexual harassments of some female members of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP).
Speaking on a local radio station in Monrovia, CPP Youth Whig Chairman, James Morris said the Minister of State should be held responsible for his role in the crisis in the County which led to the presumptive winner of the County senatorial seat, Madam Botoe Kanneh.
According to Mr. Morris, the sexual harassment and subsequent detention of some opposition partisans from the CPP, and the hunting to death of Madam Kanneh in the County is been masterminded by Minister McGill, who he noted has vowed to install the defeated senatorial candidate, Representative Afred Koiwood who is a member of the ruling Coalition Democratic Change (CDC) at all cost.
Effort to contact Minister McGill via mobile phone by the GNN proved unsuccessful as his mobile phone rang endelessly.
In a related development, leaked audio obtained from the County and posted on social media noted that the of the County, Superintendent, J Keyah Saah, of ordering all commissioners in Gbarpolu County to ensure today’s election in Normor Datando is a victory for the CDC candidate Representative Afred Koiwood.
According to the leaked audio, Superintendent Saah, told an unknown man during a conversation that he has been instructed by President George Weah to convey the mandate or failure to ensure a victory for the CDC candidate all the names of Commissioners in Gbarpolu County, will be deleted from the Government of Liberia payroll.
“I am telling you now as the Superintendent of Gbarpolu County, that President Weah is not happy with you all.”
“Tell them to open the boarder and let our Sierra Leon brothers and sisters come in and vote for our candidate. We are serious and I want you to go and tell them now that if they do not ensure their people vote Hon. Alfred Koiwood, we will delete thier names from the payroll.” Superintendent J Keyah Saah narrated.
There has been no immediate response from the Executive Mansion on the authenticity of Superintendent Gbowee’s allegation linking President George Weah to intimidation and threats of dismissal of Commissioners in Gbarpolu County, in a heavily contested midterm elections.
In a Sunday, December 13,2020, nationwide broadcast to the Nation, President George Weah called on losers of the midterm Senatorial elections to accept the rusults and move Liberia forward.
The Liberia leader lauded Liberians on a history role they’ve played in setting a renewed Democratic credential following year’s civil wars.
President Weah challenged all to remain committed to peace and avoid being used by others for selfish political interest.
Meanwhile there are reports of election violence today in Normor, in Gbarpolu County, where the National Election Commission-NEC conducted elections after a country-mask dancer (Country devil), made away with ballot boxes on midterm elections day, last Tuesday, December 8, 2020.
On Monday, December 14, 2020, reports emerged that the leading senatorial candidate in Gbarpolu, Madam Botoe Kanneh, was kidnapped to an unknown location. The incident came following reports on Monday, December 14, of the release of a ‘country devil’ in Normor Datando town, electoral district number three, Gbarpolu County, which has renewed electoral tensions ahead of the midterm senatorial election, scheduled for Tuesday, December 15, 2020.
As the result of electoral tension that started on December 8, when local authorities, of Normor seized ballot boxes, preventing people in the town from voting, the National Election (NEC) rescheduled the election in the town, while announcing results from other counties.
It is not yet clear why a ‘country devil’, a common traditional character amongst some tribes in Liberia, is being introduced by locals of Normor, particularly during this electoral process in that county. However, a source said that due to influx of aliens ahead of the elections, including individuals from Sierra Leone bearing Liberian voter registration cards, that was why certain youth of the town seized the ballot boxes and placed them in the care of the Paramount Chief, McGill Wleh.
Since then, reports say, NEC polling staffs assigned to the area have not had access to the ballot boxes or the polling stations where they are supposed to work. Now that the country devil has been released into the town, it remains to be seen whether the election will hold or be further postponed.
Despite the purported law-enforcement purpose for which the ‘country devil’ has emerged, neither the town authorities, including the Paramount Chief Wleh and the National Police and Liberian Immigration offiers posted there, have informed Madam Kanneh and other opposition candidates about the what is really going on in the town.
‘Country Devil’ practices also known as the Poro and Sande society exists among nine tribes of the 15 tribal groups in Liberia.
On yesterday Monday evening,Secember 14, 2020, Madam Kanneh stated that today’s election might not be free and fair because the local authorities have decided to put the country devil out during the conduct of the election.
It can be recalled that on Sunday, December 13, 2020, there was a renewed electoral tension in Normor when two Candidates attempted to enter the town ahead of the Tuesday schedule. The CPP Candidate Sam K. Zinnah and Madam Kanneh, an Independent Candidate and their supporters were stopped by Liberia Immigration Services (LIS) officers from entering the town.
Supporters of both Zinnah and Kanneh were seen or heard demanding access to the town on grounds that the CDC candidate, Hon. Alfred G. Koiwood, had his team in Normor holding secret meetings while at the same time denying other candidates access to the town. One of the aggrieved supporters of Candidate Botoe Kanneh named several persons from the Camp of Hon. Koiwood that were already in Normor.
Nomor Datando is believed to have more than 2,000 registered voters which, Zinnah says, is crucial enough to potentially steal the election from Madam Kanneh, who is currently the leading candidate in the election with 4,722 votes. Zinnah has already pledged his support to help Kanneh finish the race.
“It happened in Normor, where the polling center is located. We were denied entrance yesterday because the security claimed that we were candidates. But I noticed that the decision was not right because they were allowing the candidate of the Congress for Democratic (CDC) entrance in to the town,” Madam Kanneh said.
According to her, she left Normor to stay in a nearby town as the result of the restriction from the state security.
“But we later learnt that the ballot box at the polling center in Normor was tampered with. The name of CDC candidate, from information gathered, has been marked on the ballot box,” she alleged, adding that where the ballot boxes are where is where the CDC candidate slept.
“Somebody told me that the election that is going on is no use to me because the election has been marked with the CDC candidate’s name,” she added.Electoral
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