In Liberia, the winner of an election is only determined if the candidate has been chosen by 50% plus one of the voting population. If none of the candidates are able to obtain this absolute majority then a runoff election is held soon after.
On October 11, 2011, Liberia’s presidential election was held, yet neither Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf nor Ambassador Winston Tubman was able to obtain 50% plus one of the vote. As a result, a runoff election was held November 8, 2011.
When the runoff was announced, the CDC, which is the political party of Ambassador Winston Tubman, refused to acknowledge it. Instead, the party told its supporters to boycott the runoff in the hopes that it would not take place. The CDC claimed the runoff was unfair, unnecessary and marred by irregularities, and that the results of the original election had been incorrectly tallied due to voter fraud.
Despite there being no solid evidence of voter fraud, the CDC decided to take to the streets and protest the runoff this past Monday. Even though the election’s campaigning period had already ended, Tubman and his party advocated for the protest, asking its supporters to peacefully demonstrate. Yet, the demonstration turned ugly when protestors began throwing stones, petrol bombs and insults at pedestrians who were going about their daily business as the protest took place around them. The demonstrators also tried to protest at incumbent Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s home and when police intervened, even more chaos ensued. As a result, three people were found dead and several were wounded.
This is troubling news for a country that was destroyed after a fourteen yearlong civil war. In my opinion, controversial legal issues should be handled through Liberia’s legal system, which is in place to resolve issues fairly and peacefully. As we saw this week, literally fighting for rights without filing a formal complaint just adds to the issue’s chaos. In the case of this protest, the only thing it caused was death and a reminder of Liberia’s bloody past.
Despite the CDC’s protesting, the runoff still took place on Tuesday. I am glad my country has risen above this week’s bout of violence and continued with the election. For those who do not find it necessary to physically demonstrate, it is a symbolic showing that we believe in our country’s election system. After all, we must stay true to Liberia’s old saying that we are a “country of laws and not men.”
Tags: boycott, chaos, controversial, election, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, laws, legal, Liberia runoff, protesting, Winston Tubman
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isatu@rockthevote.com Bio: Isatu Ville has worked with the Liberian Council of Churches Youth Desk (LCCYD) and Federation of Liberia Youths (FLY) and is the current head the National Student Christian Council(NSCC). She is temporarily working at Rock the Vote before returning to Liberia. Email the author at: blog(at)rockthevote.com |
Not only that there is no substantive showing of fraud, the CDC still claims fraud. Here’s an interview that the party’s figurehead leader gave to Reuters: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/11/06/uk-liberia-election-tubman-idUKTRE7A52OQ20111106.
The truth is its just ironical to undermine the very thing you seek to achieve.
Thanks Lamii
we have witness many blood share for fourteen years in Liberia,but it seems like we have not learn enought from our past experience. If election results can allowe Liberians to killed their brothers,is a clear indication that peace is not yet restore and our illiteracy rate is still on the increase. But if what I have observed is proven wrongly regarding illiteracy causing problem, I stand to be corrected.The pass election results pronouncment that leads to runoff should not be reason for public uprising or buycot.Many countries has gone through this and Liberia should have done the same to avoid trouble, as we proclimed to be a peace loving nation.I regret the lost but strongly condemn the act of protesting.it is setting that many Liberians around the world feels very disturbed and disappointed with this news.If we continue to allowe politic to disrupt peace and make us to exile all of our lives, is a sad news for our up coming future leaders and our history that Liberia is built on a christian principles will be in vin. Unity must be our close neighbor and love must become the over all, no matter how we fall apart. Liberians let us unit and built our nation for a better tomorrow.