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of this Court, we quote verbatim and in its entirety the ruling of the Board of
Commissioners which the appellants assert is littered with reversible errors.
Here is how the Board, in its final ruling, addressed the contentions raised by
the appellants:
“FINAL RULING OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
This appeal comes before us from the November 20, 2017 final ruling of the
Chief Dispute Hearing Officer, dismissing Appellants' complaints. The
Appellants herein are Charles Walker Brumskine, Harrison S. Karnwea,
presidential and vice-presidential candidates and all Representative
Candidates of the Liberty Party; and Joseph Nyumah Boakai and James
Emmanuel Nuquay, presidential and vice-presidential candidates and the
Unity Party, 1st and 2nd Appellants respectively.
The said final ruling denied the request for a re-run of the October. 10, 2017
election prayed for by the appellants. We must determine whether the
Hearing Officer's ruling is supported by the evidence presented at trial and the
law controlling.
FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
On October 10, 2017, 1,641,922 (75.19%) registered voters cast ballots for the
offices of President and Vice-President and for the 73 seats in the House of
Representatives of the Republic of Liberia. Nine days following the said
elections the National Elections Commission (NEC) announced final results.
The final result shows that out the 20 presidential tickets, the Coalition for
Democratic Change (CDC) obtained 38.4 percent of the valid votes. cast. The
Unity Pa ty (UP) obtained 28.8 percent, followed by the Liberty Party (LP) with
9.6 percent.
Pursuant to Article 83(b) of the Liberian Constitution, the NEC announced a
run-off election between the CDC and the UP, the two presidential tickets that
received the greatest number of valid votes from the October 10, 2017
election.
Following the announcement of the final results, the LP, in exercise of its right
Under A ide 83(c) of the Liberian Constitution, filed a complaint with the NEC
on October 23, 2017 alleging violation of the Constitution and Elections Law,
fraudulent acts, and irregularities and prayed for a re-run of the said elections.
We hereunder produce verbatim the Liberty Party's complaint: [omitted]
Consistent with the procedure at the NEC, Chairman Korkoya forwarded 1st
Appellants’ complaint to the NEC's independent hearing section for
immediate investigation. Hearing into the Liberty Party's complaint
commenced on October 27, 2017. In presenting its side of the case, the Liberty
Party called twelve witnesses in persons of Musa Hassan Bility; Benjamin
Sanvee, Foday Fahnbulleh; Darling Clinton; Paul Wehyee; Debora Harris;
Victoria Koffa; Yah Golden; Mark; Jurah Sanoe; Jefferson Gbadyquille, and
Omaru Kamara.
TESTIMONIES OF WITNESSES CALLED BY THE LIBERTY PARTY
Witness Bility testified essentially that there was late opening at several
polling places, that some polling places did not have queue controllers; that
people in Grand Gedeh County discovered buried ballot :papers;: that polling
staff in Grand Gedeh and Nimba Counties were arrested with pre-marked
ballot papers; that ballot papers did not have serial numbers; that there was