Pressure is mounting on Liberia to resolve its current political crisis after the Supreme Court ordered the country’s electoral commission to investigate claims of electoral fraud raised by an opposition political party.
The Supreme Court this month asked the election commission to “urgently and expeditiously” probe the claims of “irregularities and fraud” made by the opposition Liberty Party.
Liberia’s Chief Justice Francis Saye Korkpor said the elections can only take place when these allegations are investigated.
The Chief Justice faulted the election commission for going ahead with preparations for the run-off between former football star George Weah and Vice-President Joseph Boakai without addressing the complaint of the Liberty Party.
Brumskine of the Liberty party came third in the first round of poll but is challenging the credibility of the election results through the courts.
The European Union on Tuesday however joined other groups calling on Liberia’s political parties and its electoral commission to end the “unnecessary delays” and hold an election to a new president.
The European Union delegation to Liberia, in a statement, said it would “encourage all concerned to work constructively and in good faith to conclude the current complaints process without unnecessary delay.”
The African Union (AU), Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) and Liberia’s United Nations peacekeeping mission have all called for re-run of the elections to prevent a constitutional crisis when the tenure of current President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf ends in January 2018.
The runoff between former football star George Weah and Vice President Boakai was originally set for November 7.
Source: Africafeeds.com
