FINAL COUNT: James Fromoyan, Chairman of the National Elections Commission announces final tally of the Senatorial By-Elections in Monrovia Thursday. At right, Lenn Eugene Nagbe, Secretary General of the Congress for Democratic Change address local media shortly after the results were announced. Geraldine Doe Sherriff of the CDC defeated Clemenceau B. Urey of the Unity Party after obtaining 58,384, 56.0% of the total valid votes cast of 104,248. Urey who trailed throughout the tallying process of the provisional result managed 45,864 votes, 44.0% of the total votes cast.

Monrovia - 
 

he much talked about senatorial by-election for Liberia’s most populated county, Montserrado has ended with the opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) defeating the ruling Unity Party (UP) by a large number of votes in a runoff after none of the 10 contesting candidates in the first round could obtain the required number of votes-50% plus one to be declared upright winner.

Geraldine Doe Sherriff of the CDC defeated Clemenceau B. Urey of the Unity Party after obtaining 58,384, 56.0% of the total valid votes cast of 104,248.

Urey who trailed throughout the tallying process of the provisional result managed 45,864 votes, 44.0% of the total votes cast.

James Fromayan, Chairman of the National Elections Commission of Liberia (NEC) announcing the final results of the runoff by-election officially declared the CDC candidate Geraldine as the winner.

Chairman Fromayan disclosed that the runoff election recorded a much higher turnout than the first round with 105,800 electorates casting ballots out of the total of 473,193 voting populace of Montserrado County.

After pronouncing the total of votes obtained by both candidates in the runoff by-election, Chairman Fromayan declared the winner “Based on the above results, Geraldine Doe Sheriff of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) is therefore declared the winner of the Montserrado County senatorial by-election run-off”.

Chairman Fromayan disclosed that the runoff election recorded a much higher turnout than the first round with 105,800 electorates casting ballots out of the total of 473,193 voting populace of Montserrado County.

The turnout out represents 22.36% of the total registered voters for Montserrado County as per the record of October 2005 general and presidential elections.

The new Junior Senator of Montserrado County is expected to be certificated this Tuesday by NEC followed by the electoral body onward submission of her name to the House of Senate as replacement for the late Senator Hannah G. Brent, a deceased CDC lawmaker.  

The senatorial by-election was necessitated by the death of Brent who died of medical problem at a local hospital in Monrovia.

Eugene Nagbe, Deputy General of the CDC shortly after the pronouncement of the final result told journalists the CDC did it all it could to win the by-election.

“We did all we had to do to win. We collaborated with people of like minds because it is normal in politics, when you have people with similar ideology, they come together, put their resources together they get the needed result”, Nagbe stated.

According to him, the CDC spent less amount of money during the campaign process as compared to the ruling Unity Party.

“We spent small money at least 55 to 60 to 1, the records are there we spent small money but we have the best result”, the CDC official indicated.

He refused to clearly admit that the elections were free, fair and transparent.

“If you want me to use a particular choice of words, I wouldn’t but I am telling you that the irregularities that we identified, we worked on them along with NEC and we had a better process”, Nagbe intimated.

The CDC official said tally sheets gathered from polling centers by their party representatives showed similar numbers to that of the ones announced by NEC but did not say if they are the same.

Nagbe said lot of work needs to be done in electoral reform before the 2011 election.

UP fails referendum

The by-election lost is seen as a failure of the UP led government which has been in power for about four years now to respond to the needs of the Liberian people.

Vice President Joseph N. Boakai during the campaign process leading to the by-election openly declared that the process is a referendum on the overall policy and performance of the government.

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf also made similar statement like that of her Vice President describing the Montserrado senatorial by-election as a test for the pending 2011 general and presidential elections.

What Caused UP a Costly Lost

Several factors from all indications might have caused the ruling UP this unforgettable political blow but paramount amongst them include the downsizing policy of government, failure to fight the corruption menace with sincerity; inability to provide basic social services for the poverty stricken population,

Downsizing-rightsizing policy

With less than three months in office the government of President Sirleaf started the downsizing policy, reliving people of their jobs in the name of rightsizing.

This policy increased the rate of unemployment but the policy was later found to be an attempt by the government to create vacancies for friends and other cronies residing in the United States of America and other countries aboard to have space to return home and work.

Within three years, there have been more job loss by Liberians on the ground and more Liberians returning from America and other countries have subsequently performing these jobs.

Positions as low as Assistant Directors and Directors at several ministries and agencies of government are occupied by Liberians from the dispora as though with numerous universities graduates yearly there are no qualified Liberians on the ground to perform the tasks for which others aboard will have to return home.

Public sentiments against the government for what is termed the importation of government officials remain high in Liberia.

Corruption Fight

From the inception of the Unity Party government, the song of the day was the fight against corruption which was embraced by the Liberian people as many commended President Sirleaf for pronouncing such strong stance against corruption.

 President Sirleaf in 2006 declared war on corruption and termed the act as public enemy number one promising that any official of her government caught for corruption will face the wrath of law.

As a means of commencing the fight against corruption, President insisted that all officials of government will be required to declare their assets before taking office.

With about four years in power, the professed fight against corruption has glaringly become a fiasco and mere pronouncement as up to date there is no official of government in jail or facing trial for corruption and many government officials are yet to declare their assets.

President Sirleaf opted for audit of her government and Liberia’s Auditor General John S. Morlu, II upon taking office described the Liberian government as being three times corrupt than the erstwhile National Transitional Government of Liberia (NTGL), a statement that birthed the conduct of audits of ministries, agencies and other functionaries of the government.

Over 30 audit reports released have painted a negative picture of the government with seniors officials divesting millions of dollars into personal accounts and huge sums unaccounted for.

Former Agriculture Minister Christopher Toe, Lands, Mines and Energy Minister Eugene Shannon, Education Minister Joseph Korto and officials of the Ministry of Finance have all been booked by audit for not accounting for millions but no concrete action has been taken against these officials.

Toe, after diverting millions intended to solve violent strike action at the Guthrie Rubber Plantation in Bomi and Grand Mount counties and money intended to provide help for people affected by Army Worms in Bong and Lofa Counties was asked to resign and is now living in peace after stealing misapplying millions needed by the Liberian people for development.

Ministers Korto, Shannon, Ngafuan and others are still enjoying the resources of the state after their involvement in illegal financial deals according to audit reports.

Laurence Bropleh, Information Minister, mouthpiece of the government was recently involved in a scandal where the state was robbed of over US$300,000 but since his suspension, a Justice Ministry investigation is yet to be completed.

There are information that attempts are being made to exonerate Bropleh from the stealing of such huge sum of money.

Overall, the government has failed to fight corruption and the opposition political parties used this as a campaign tool against the ruling UP.

Failure to Provide Basic Services

 Again the providing of basic social services to the Liberian people after years of civil war is another place where the government has dismally performed.

After raising the hopes of the people in 2006 that electricity, par borne water and other services will be provided within the first six months of the new government, these services are yet to be provided the Liberian people.

President Sirleaf made numerous promises to the Liberian people in 2006 but today, the people have to stand on long lines to get a gallon of water which is sold for L$30.

Public toilets are not available in Monrovia and the major streets of Monrovia are very deplorable.

Streets lights are off and on and not even on all the major streets in Monrovia, least to speak of the environs.

The health sector is awful and there is no medication for the poor while at the same time the free and compulsory primary education policy of the government has miserable failed to the extent that children have to sit on the bare floor in some counties in pursuit of education.

Donors have pumped millions in the educational sector but yet nothing tangible is seen in return for the donors help.

The promise for children to leave the streets and be in school has failed as the number of street children who are breadwinners for families have increased.