Poor Turnout Mars Bassa By-election

A scene from a polling center in Buchanan

Voting in Grand Bassa senatorial by-election took place yesterday amid a very poor turnout as most people ignored the polls, preferring to go about their normal business. Polling stations were virtually empty across the county’s main city, Buchanan.

At least five persons would show up at a particular polling center after every one hour. Buchanan City was most affected compared to other electoral districts across the county. Polling stations across the county opened by 8 a.m. and closed by 6 p.m.

Citizens of Bassa were casting their ballots for a new junior senator, months after death of Senator John Francis Whitfield. Senator Whitefield represented the county in the Senate on the ticket of the National Patriotic Party (NPP). He died on January 17, 2013 at the St. Joseph Catholic Hospital in Congo Town, outside Monrovia following an abrupt illness.

Grand Bassa County has a total of five Electoral Districts; 124,280 registered voters; 176 voting precincts and 336 polling places.

Four candidates locked horns in yesterday’s race: Mr. Daniel Chea (Independent), Madam Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence of the opposition Liberty Party (LP), Mr. Jonathan Kaipay of the ruling Unity Party (UP) and Mr. T. Wah Bedell of the former ruling National Patriotic Party (NPP).

Some of the citizens, who preferred to go about their normal business, told the Daily Observer yesterday that “We vote people based on their promises. But those voted into office have all failed us. They make huge promises and when they are elected, they act as though they are the bosses and are better than the very people who voted them into power.”

Citizens basically ignored the poll

The National Elections Commission (NEC) had secured 186,000 Ballot Papers that were recently brought into the country for yesterday’s polls. The ballot papers were printed in Ghana, NEC said.

On the overall, security was of no problem during yesterday’s exercise.

International and local observers accredited by the Commission to monitor the by-election included the United States Embassy, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), the Liberia Council of Churches (LCC); The Press Union of Liberia as well as agents from three political parties and the one Independent Candidate.