MONROVIA: As Liberians prepare to vote tomorrow, Tuesday, November 14, in a Presidential Runoff, Eminent Women of the Women’s Situation Room (WSR), have called on At-Risk-Youths Not to allow themselves to be used by politicians to cause violence in the country for their (politicians’) self-serving gains.
Cllr. Yvette Chesson-Wureh, the Coordinator for the Liberia-based Angie Brooks International Centre, an NGO for Women’s Empowerment, in a meeting with some At-Risk-Youth in the Township of Gardnerville over the weekend observes that children of most politicians do not live in Liberia, but in the comfort of other countries abroad.
She indicated that such self-serving politicians often instigate acts of lawlessness and violence, especially during elections by using poor and disadvantaged children to carry out violence and chaos at the detriment of the Liberian Nation.
She cautioned At-Risk Youths not to allow themselves to be used and exploited by politicians through unlawful protests and other violent acts after the results of the Tuesday Presidential runoff elections involving incumbent President George Manneh Weah and former Vice President, and opposition leader, Joseph Nyuma Boakai, are announced by the National Elections Commission (NEC).
Cllr. Chesson-Wureh also encouraged Liberians in general not to embrace violence that have the potential to undermine the country’s hard-won peace after years of its decade-long civil war in which Liberians were victims and no winner.
She, at the same time, cautioned politicians or political parties that may feel dissatisfied at any stage of the presidential runoff elections to use the due process of law or other peaceful means for address of their grievances.
She narrated that dissatisfied individuals should seek redress by beginning with heads of voting centers polling centers using via election tally or procedure, then they should take advantage of the law through which they can challenge the process and even the final vote itself once they have concrete evidence to their claims.
She said this process starts with filing a formal complaint with the Election Magistrate at the polling station where they may have voted.
According to her, if they are not satisfied, they can still file a complaint to the NEC Hearing Office for probe, and if they still feel dissatisfied, they can also forward their complaint to NEC’s Board of Commissioners. If necessary, the complaints can be forwarded to the Supreme Court of Liberia.