LUTA challenges Liberian elections results in New York

May 2, 2006 | Tamba D. Aghailas

 

The Liberian United for Transparency and Accountability (LUTA) has challenged the election results of the Liberian Community Association of Staten Island, New York.

 

It can be recalled that the Liberian community went to the polls on Saturday April 22, 2006 to elect a new leadership. The two-party system pitted incumbent Billy Curtis LAP (Liberians for Action and Progress) party against Mrs. Jumah Brumskine’s LUTA. Both Jumah and Billy ran for the presidency of the association.

 

Eleven other candidates also ran for seats on the seven-member Board of Directors. It has been a long week for Liberians on Staten Island and for those around the United States who have closely followed the event.

 

LUTA in its grievance report [click here to download] accused some members of the Election Commission of partiality, voter registration-rigging, and irregularities observed during the vote. Among those accused of partiality are: Robert Reeves, an assistant minister of the New Life Church and Dexter Lincoln, a member of the same church. The church is also alleged to have favored LAP party over LUTA during the time of campaign.

 

Also accused is Billy Curtis who is said to have won the contested election. Mr. Curtis, according to LUTA, knowingly took a number of voter registration cards on the morning of the election, which according to LUTA, violates the guidelines of established prior to the elections. The Election Commission was informed of the issue, but did nothing to address it, LUTA alleged.

 

Meanwhile, Mr. Curtis last week hosted a grandiose party with his supporters at Korto’s Place on Prospect Avenue to celebrate his LAP’s election victory and as a pre-inauguration treat.

 

LUTA is requesting the intervention of the inter-Ministerial Alliance, a body that is charged by the community with conflicts-resolution. Up to date, we have yet to receive any official statement from the commission.

 

As we await the decision of the Alliance, LUTA is said to be preparing for a court showdown if the matter is not addressed in a manner that is fair and transparent to all. The party demands a rerun of the elections. If it succeeds in its quest to have a rerun, the community shall experience a keen break from the tradition of Liberian politics.

 

Comment on this article

Post-Election Fever Grips the Liberian Community in New York

Tamba D. Aghailas | April 25, 2006

 

In early April, the Liberian Community Association of Staten Island gave green light to the two competing parties LAP (Liberians for Action and Progress) and LUTA (Liberians United for Transparency and Accountability) to begin their respective campaigns. The two-week long campaign was intended to woo voters in electing a new leadership team to lead the Association over the next two years. Staten Island is a popular borough for Liberians in the United States. Park Hill alone hosts more than four thousand Liberians, according to estimates.

 

It has been over a year since I moved from the borough of Brooklyn to Staten Island, located across the Hudson River from Manhattan. On the one hand my decision was based on an underlying desire to live in a community where I could interact with fellow Liberians. On the other hand, it was economic.

 

The election was held on Saturday April 22, 2006, incumbent Billy Curtis LAP party running against Mrs. Jumah Brumskine LUTA, both presidential candidates. Eleven other candidates also ran for a seat on the seven-member Board of Directors. It was a long day for Liberians on Staten Island and for those around the United States who have closely been following the event.

 

The voting began around 10a.m. under the auspices of the Election Commission headed by Mrs. Luciah Hineh. I did not cast my vote in the morning hours due to my college engagement. I had to attend a Saturday session from 9a.m. to 1p.m. I kept looking at my time all morning. When the class ended, I literally stormed out of the room, down three flights of stairs and headed for the nearby subway at Times Square. Not even the pouring rain could hold me for another minute.

 

Meanwhile on Staten Island things were heated up. According to a reliable source on Park Hill, who I spoke to by phone, presidential contenders were seen on and around the voting premises convincing voters to vote their party into office. “At one point, Billy was seated in his car around 160 Park Hill talking to passersby to vote for him,” the source said. Asked about Mrs. Brumskine, “She was seen on the Hill all day too.” When I later walked in to cast my ballot, I was not surprised to see Mr. Curtis in front of the voting center, while Mrs. Brumkine chatted across the corridor with a handful of supporters.                                                              Billy Curtis [left] and James Weah

 

I came out of the White Hall subway station and ran up two flights of stairs, headed for the next boat, which was scheduled at 3:30p.m. As I journey on the Staten Island Ferry, my interest in monitoring the much talk about election baffled my intellectual being. I couldn’t just understand the strange feeling. Somehow, I felt I wanted to watch this election, a parallel to the just ended Liberian run-off elections held November 2005. I wanted to be part of a Liberian initiative.

 

The vote counting began around 8:30 p.m. Mrs. Hineh explained to observes present how the counting was to be done. Mr. Sengbeh who was ran for a seat on the board as a LUTA supporter, objected to the process citing irregularity concerns. Rev. Nyeaye of the Christ Memorial Church intervened to calm both parties as the room erupted into a scene of arguments. Concerns were addressed and the counting kicked off.

 

Tipped by some aspirant Board Members: Peter Garlie and James Weah to represent them as an observer at the ballot-counting table, I was thrilled and accepted with no second thought. I closely monitored the process with great interest. It was democracy at the community-base at its worst and at its best.

 

Two piles of paper separating ballots for LUTA and LAP were accumulated overtime as adrenaline increased among representatives of the two parties in the room and those waiting in the corridors of 160 Park Hill, where the counting was taking place. 

 

I watched men and women in a room 7ft wide/14ft long being emotionally tortured. During more than three long of ballot counting, these folks were sweating internally. At half way through, some faces look depressed; the adrenaline was back at its lowest level. Dreams were being shattered for those who have had high hopes for change. For others, it was a dream come true as their candidate took the lead.

 

“LUTA; LAP, – LAP,” Mrs. Hineh chanted more than three hundred times, while separating the ballots. At one or several times, she said “LAP” but placed the ballot paper on the LUTA’s pile drawing instant rebuttals from party observers. She immediately placed the respective ballot on the pile of LAP. I was amazed!

 

As the ballot counting neared its end, some LAP party members, whose candidate was obviously in the lead as the pile before everyone clearly illustrated, began to show sings of joy and they literally came back to life. LAP’s party chairperson, Madam Curtis, who is also the wife of the incumbent president laughed nervously and shook hands with Mr. Curtis running-mate, Mr. Gbargaye.

 

At around 11p.m., Mrs. Hineh declared LAP as winner of the most contested election in the Liberian Community on Staten Island. LAP won 67% (210), while LUTA managed 30% (92). 3.5% (11) ballots were counted invalid. This is a landslide in democratic sense. 

 

Of the 745 total registered voters, 42% (313) were able to cast their ballots. Several voters were turned away because they lack proper identification documentation, a key requirement to vote. Others were not allowed to vote due to their late arrival at the voting site. The voting room was closed by 8p.m.

  A partial view of Liberian community members

 

Among the eleven candidates who contested seats for the board, seven were elected:

Esther Brown (209 votes), Rufus Akoi (178), Josephine Tucker (173), Florence Momolu (170), Esther Sharpe (164), Sarah Tuly (134), and Peter Garlie (130)

 

James Weah, Emmanuel Sengbeh, Eunis Martin, and Rufus Kerme failed in their bid. LUTA’s representatives, Mr. Sengbeh and Jacob staged a protest and requested a review of the ballots. Their request was granted and the two men rumble through the piles of ballots on the table as the rest of the group watched. There was nothing to be said; the people of Staten Island had spoken.

 

Addressing representatives, Rev. Nyeaye asked them “are you satisfied with the process through which the elections were held?” Jacob for his part said, “I reserve my comments until I can meet with my colleagues.” Visibly frustrated over the results, Mr. Sengbeh could not manage a word.  He has been a strong advocate for change and an outspoken board member in the past.

 

Rev. Nyeaye further stressed that though there were initial complains about the election process, which he said was resolved through the Liberian Ministerial Alliance, he prayed with each party to accept the results of the voters so as to move the community forward.

 

The election commissioner pronounced the official results. As people fumbled through loose papers to gather their belongings around midnight, I managed to talked to some members who served on the commission:

 

The challenges were enormous, especially in terms of mobilization, some members observed. For Decker Lincoln, “All in all the process was worthwhile,” he said. Asked if he will do this if asked, “never” he concluded.

 

Meanwhile, we learned through a reliable source that LUTA was planning to challenge the elections results. Mrs. Brumskine, LUTA’s presidential candidate couldn’t be reached for comments. The billion-dollar question becomes: “Will the election dispute be resolved at a Ellen and Weah style? Stay tune!