OK FM
PoliticsTop News

Liberia: Dr. Tokpa leads in Bong County By-Election while Saah Joseph tops contenders in Montserrado

Monrovia,Liberia: The National Elections Commission’s first provisional results have put Coalition for Democratic Change’s Senatorial Candidate, Saah Joseph ahead of other contenders in the Montserrado by-election.

 

By Nyantee Togba-www.nyanteetogba@gmail.com

 

In Bong County, Independent Candidate, Dr. Henrique Tokpa takes lead of CDC’s Marvin Cole and others in the Bong County race.

At a news conference in Monrovia on Wednesday, August 1,2018,  NEC Chairman Jerome Kokorya said the total of 127 out of 1,790 polling places in Montserrado county has been reported, while 261 out of 502 polling places has already been tallied for Bong County.

CDC’s Saah Joseph obtained the total votes of 4,386 while Bernard DJ Blue Benson obtained 1,689.

Unity Party’s Josephine George Francis obtained 692, while Mark Keshen received 685 votes.

While in Bong County Senatorial race, Independent Candidate Dr. Henrique Tokpa leads with 15,735 votes with CDC’s Marvin Cole obtaining 11,947 votes.

During the launch of the Coca-Cola Factory to ELWA junction road project at the weekend, days to the conduct of the senatorial election, President Weah breached protocol in the midst of international partners including the World Bank, Swedish Ambassador and other foreign dignitaries when he openly campaigned for the election of Representatives Saah Joseph of Montserrado County and Cole of Bong.

According to President Weah, the people of Bong and Montserrado Counties should vote the two individuals (Saah Joseph and Marvin Cole) into office because they are part of his “Pro-Poor agenda for the transformation of Liberia” and with the two they can all change the country for the better.

Cole was the preferred candidate of President George Mannah Weah and Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor. Both pledged their support for the District Three lawmaker.

If Tokpa, who was beaten by Howard-Taylor in the 2014 senatorial election, wins Tuesday’s by-election, it will be a victory for three of Liberia’s largest opposition political parties –The Alternative National Congress (ANC), Liberty Party (LP) and Unity Party (UP) – who endorsed his candidacy during the peak of the campaign in Bong.

It will also be a victory for five members of the Bong legislative caucus who pledged their support for Tokpa.

Campaigning for Cole in Bong County, Howard-Taylor threw jibes at the five members of the caucus for standing with Tokpa, describing them as “agents of confusion” in the county.

“All the confusion in the county is because of the five lawmakers from Bong County who are supporting Dr. Tokpa. Instead of us working together for the interest of the county, they have grouped themselves with the notion of not working with the President,” the Vice President said.

Continuing, she added: “All the visits President Weah has made to Bong these five lawmakers have not attended.”

‘Don’t waste your votes CDcians’ – Howard-Taylor

Vice President Taylor last Saturday went to Foequelleh, Panta District where she pitched Cole as the most electable candidate and called on partisans of the CDC to prove critics wrong by voting the CDC candidate.

“This election is not about Marvin Cole, it’s about your party. Bong is very crucial county for the CDC. You can’t have two opposition senators in the Senate,” she said.

“Continue to demonstrate to people that your party is your party. Don’t vote for Dr. Tokpa. He has aged. Why will you vote for a man who can’t walk straight,” she said.

‘No One Party Owns Bong’

Despite Howard-Taylor’s perceived influence leading to the polls, her rivalry with several lawmakers in the county apparently hurt her choice.

District One Representative Albert Junior Hills (All Liberia Party) told FrontPageAfrica Wednesday that they united against the Vice President’s candidate to signal a message that no one party owns Bong County.

“Bong County belongs to everyone. The Vice President doesn’t own Bong County. We are not her children for her to control us at her will and pleasure,” an outspoken Hills said.

Rep Hills said the support shown for Tokpa in the by-election was a glimpse of what to come in 2023.

“Let this send a message to the ruling that we are getting ready ahead of 2023,” he said.

Rep. Edward Karfiah (District #5, Peoples Unification Party) said while it is true they respect the ruling party and are willing to work with President Weah, the constant attacks on their character by the Vice President was unacceptable.

“If you go in our district to campaign and denigrate us, we have to respond as a team and that’s what we have done with the senatorial by-election in the county,” he said.

Karfiah said the collaboration with opposition political parties will continue to keep the government feet to the fire.

 

+ posts

Related posts

House Speaker Defends the Reconstruction of President Weah’s Home

OK FM 99.5

President Weah Reaffirms Liberia-China Relations

OK FM 99.5

GoL Lowers Rice Prices by USD25 cents

Godfred Badu Quansah

Supreme Court Decree recount in Grand Bassa Electoral District #5

Godfred Badu Quansah

President George Weah Releases 4th Batch Of Appointments In Government

OK FM 99.5

Liberian Army chief outlines challenges facing the force

OK FM 99.5
OKAY COMMUNICATION INC.