Polling ends peacefully in Liberia with votes for opposition

Party Supporters of Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) still voted for their candidate, Winston Tubman, on Tuesday in Monrovia despite the boycott of the run-off presidential election.   

Tubman announced that he was boycotting the election last Friday after giving a list of conditions to the electoral commission which could not be met before the election.
The presidential candidate of the CDC called on his supporters to “stay at home’’ during the elections.

Bloody rally

A rally by CDC supporters to muscle voters to stay at home on Monday turned bloody with many injured while the UN confirmed that two people were killed.

At the polling centre of the Family Children’s School in Mamba Point, Unity Party agent, Morris Kachaman, told newsmen that the results for the centre also indicated some votes for the opposition.

He said “In this centre, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf had votes and we found out that some people also voted for Tubman, though not a significant number.’’

Kachaman said the boycott call affected the general turn out of voters, insisting that John-Sirleaf had more votes at the polling station than the first round of voting in October.

He said the endorsement by two former presidential candidates, Prince Yomi Johnson and Charles Brumskine, increased her votes.
Reports say in another polling station, situated at the Rally Time market in central Liberia, the CDC had some votes.

An electoral officer, Cheri Jones said “Some people decided to indicate their interest, instead of not participating.’’      

Party agents and observers said the turn-out was low compared to the first round of voting, which saw a continuous surge until the close of the process.

NAN/Adekusibe/Ekata