Africa-Press – Liberia. Some aggrieved voters in Montserrado County District 11 are threatening to boycott the upcoming October 10 polls due to the disqualification of their leading Representative candidate, Thomas Nimene Tweh, by the Supreme Court of Liberia.
Last week, the Court ordered the National Elections Commission to invalidate Tweh’s candidacy on the grounds that he was ineligible to contest following a domicile case filed against him by candidate Siah Tandanpollie of the New Liberia Party.
Tandanpollie, in her case, argued that candidate Tweh does not reside in the district, which he is contesting, but Montserrado District 1.
As a result of the Court’s ruling, which aligns with Article 30 (b) of the 1986 Constitution, supporters of Tweh are facing provocations and humiliation from their political rivals. Campaign flyers and banners for Tweh have been taken down by supporters of his political opponents.
Speaking to reporters over the weekend, Theresa Davies, the spokeswoman for the aggrieved women, disclosed that district residents are disheartened by the denial of their “choice” to exercise his political right to represent them.
She emphasized that the financial resources, energy, and efforts invested by hundreds of residents to support Tweh’s election have been wasted due to the court’s ruling.
According to her, the district will not be a place of peace and harmony because Tweh and his supporters are currently being provoked and humiliated by supporters of other candidates in the elections.
“We have been poorly represented for so long, and even though weh, or Original Country Man, is running as an independent candidate, you can see the thousands of supporters he has. If he doesn’t contest, the government should consider us out of the elections,” said Davies.
She further noted that there is a significant level of division and disunity among district residents following the High Court’s ruling.
“Tweh is the only one who can tell us to vote or reconsider our decision to vote for another candidate as President, Senator, or Representative because the court says he should not contest. We see him as our political leader, the same way Nimba County people see Prince Johnson.”
Richard Harris, 30, also expressed the dismay of a vast majority of youths in the district regarding the court’s ruling. He emphasized that the judiciary must make impartial judgments on electoral cases during this election period to avoid dissatisfaction that could lead to conflicts, similar to the root causes of Liberia’s civil conflict.
“We don’t want any chaos in our country, but the court’s decision has the potential to stir up confusion in our district because people who know some of us support Tweh now see us as their laughingstock. They are provoking us, and nobody is addressing this issue. For me, I may not retaliate, but others might, and things could escalate, even though we are not hoping for that,” Harris stated.
David Nimely added that he is waiting on Tweh to provide political direction for the district, but noted that the district will be poorly represented “because my candidate was the chosen only capable of bringing transformation.”
He emphasized that the district may not remain stable compared to other districts across the country due to the court’s decision. Nimely claimed that the hopes and aspirations of district residents had been dashed, leading citizens to disengage from the entire electoral process in favor of the will of a select few.
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