By Hassan I. Conteh
Liberians are voting today, Tuesday 10, October, in Monrovia and in other parts in the country in a general election to elect their next President but amid serious violence outbursts that had happened in the past few weeks.
About two Liberians were killed in a latest campaign by supporters of the two popular presidential candidates, the incumbent President George Weah and Joseph Boakai.
Boakai is Weah’s is tightest rival. The recent elections related- attacks left motor tyres being set alight while two people got killed probably by some gun shots.
The incumbent President George Weah is running a second term in office after he had served five years term limit.
Weah won 2018 Liberia’s General Elections suddenly after former President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s two terms in office had expired.
The ex-football legend, who was named African, European Best player and FIFA World player of the year in 1995, is also the first world’s retired football superstar to be become President in football world.
But, the legend is facing a stiff resistance by his opponent, Boakai, who has a large support base in Liberia as a politician.
Weah’s government has failed to protect opposition supporters’ freedom of expression and the right of people to belong to a political party.
Politicians in Weah’s government and the police had been allegedly using ‘a heavy-handed approach’ to dealing with rowdy crowd of opposition supporters against the government during campaign periods.
As few killings had happened prior to Liberia’s October 10 General Elections, international community including the United States of America had wanted to know where President Weah was when innocent deaths of civilians occurred in his country under his leadership.
Already, two deaths had occurred while 20 sustained injuries between supporters of the ruling government and the opposition parties.
The United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCR) has said it has documented eight cases of attacks on journalists fuelled by various political actors.
The United Nations has said it‘s concerned about violence linked to Liberia’s Tuesday elections.
The US government like it did to Nigeria and to Sierra Leone has threatened the West Africa nation of about 5 million people [Liberia] to upholding democratic principles, and to guaranteeing free, fair, and transparent and credible elections in Liberia.
It has promised a Visa-travel ban to Liberian politicians or individuals who are believed to have undermined democratic principles and elections’ integrity.
In a latest statement by US State department, the proposed visa-ban targets “those undermining democracy in Liberia…including through manipulation or rigging of the electoral process, use of violence….”
President George Weah is faced with a tough challenge by two prominent opposition parties with the main opposition led by Joseph Boakai who was defeated by Weah at Liberia’s 2018 elections.
George Weah’s cabinet is composed of very critical minded politicians who, recently, had advised the President to sack a key minster after he was seen at an opposition’s campaign ceremony.
Other key opponent of George Weah is the politician, Alexander Cummings.
Cummings’ political party, the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), is also putting wild pressure against the government and Liberia’s National Elections Commission (NEC).
Cummings’ CPP had challenged NEC to put on hold the Tuesday’s elections owing to concerns of an absence of constituencies’ demarcation but the party’s request was kicked out by Liberia’s Supreme Court, ordering the elections to go ahead as planned.
And Liberians are voting today for their next President and MPs and it seems the incumbent President Weah is worried about the elections’ results ahead.
The elections voting are happening on Tuesday in Liberia amid growing unresolved concerns raised by some opposition supporters and political parties, particularly by CPP.