By Patrick N. Mensah
Africa-Press – Liberia. Exactly a week after election was held in Pleebo Sodoken Electoral District#2, Maryland County, supporters of incumbent Representative Bhofal Chambers and his fierce rival, Anthony F. Williams of the CPP, are claiming victory ahead of announcement of final results by the National Elections Commission.
Rival supporters began early celebration a day after polling ended in Maryland.
Progressive results released by the National Elections Commission have Candidate Anthony Williams with 7,944 votes, while Representative Chambers trades behind with 7,858 votes.
However, last week Friday, supporters of both candidates besieged local office of the National Elections Commission in the county, chanting battle cries, as they demanded the election magistrate there to announce results.
In a subsequent news conference, Representative Chambers, who is said to be trading behind his rival Anthony Williams, explained that though he is not charged with the responsibility to announce results of the poll, after tallying results from his war room, he is optimistic of reelection.
However, Chambers, who has represented the district for 18 years, noted that results from other polling centers especially, a precinct in Old Sodoken that contains two polling places were plagued with series of controversies, resulting in appearance of a ‘Country Devil’ last Wednesday, 12 October, leaving his ruling CDC observers to flee for their lives.
According to him, the ‘Country Devil’ allegedly took over the ballot site, while Candidate Anthony Williams’ supporters were seen harassing and intimating supporters of the CDC and Team Chambers, to the extent of threatening them with bodily harm and destruction of election materials.
He details that one of the precincts in Old Sodoken had 962 used and unused ballot papers on the tallying sheet, rather than 550, as required by the NEC.
He says said alleged act is totally against the election guidelines and intended to manipulate the process.
Chambers claims to have evidence that Maryland County Senator James Biney was bent on twisting the process after a meeting the senator allegedly held with NEC staff in Gbloken over the weekend.
“So Senator Biney, I feel he holds Pleebo people explanation, because being a Senator, why would he want to interfere in Pleebo issue?” He asks.
He says the act of bringing ‘County Devil’ out in the town deprived most of his supporters from voting in Old Sodoken, which put his rival ahead with total votes of six hundred and forty-three (643) against ninety-five (95) votes he obtained from Old Sodoken polling center.
Representative Chambers, who also serves as Speaker of the House, also excuses Deputy Speaker and his ruling CDC lawmaker, Grand Kru County Representative Fonati Koffa of financing and plotting these acts against him.
“Let me say this, I’m surprised; Biney of all people, who I have helped during the 2020 election, is among those people behind these things.
Even my colleague Koffa, but I can assure my supporters that we are leading this election and we will continue with those things we have started as lawmaker of the people.”
He adds that evidence links the Deputy Speaker towards the reported violence but that he is not deterred.
“If we think, Liberia is our common denominator and we have to make Liberia prosperous, fair, trust and united, I don’t think we should have this aspect. I mean, in the legislature, there are many times Deputy Speaker Koffa has been accused. We even had other instances where we have brought it in his face and in recent times, there were some communications between him and Maryland County’s former chairman of the traditional council, Nelson Neal, to have contested against me but that didn’t happen. Perhaps, he is now using Candidate Anthony F. Williams through Senator Biney.”
“So with all that’s happening, people trying to control and destabilize the process, but I want to thank the Liberian National Police for being so active in handling these issues”, Chambers narrates.
He reveals that officials of the CDC and Team Chambers have filed an official complaint against the alleged act perpetrated by the ‘Country Devil’ and supporters of his rival.
On Friday, October 13, 2023, several traditional women and men gathered at Maryland County Administration Building to debunk Speaker Chambers that residents of Old Sodoken used traditional masquerades (known locally as country devils) to disrupt election activities in that town, where Chambers’ rival Anthony Williams, hails from and reportedly obtained a substantial number of votes.
The traditional people, including women, men, youth, and elders, said the information provided by Representative Chambers is untrue because nothing of such happened during the election.
They maintain that there was no ‘country devil’ brought out, as Chambers alleges.
They call on the National Elections Commission to announce results from Pleebo Sodoken District#2 in accordance with what was gathered from the field.
The NEW DAWN has tried contacting the Grand County Representative and Deputy Speaker, Fonati Koffa via his press office which has promised to come out with a press release.
Old Sodoken is on the outskirts Pleebo that has a voting population of nine hundred and sixty (960) out of which Representative Chambers received a total of nine-five (95) votes, while his rival, Anthony F. Williams, obtained six hundred and forty-three (643) votes from there.
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