MONROVIA, December 23 (LINA)- The Chairman of the National Elections Commission (NEC), Counselor Jerome Kokoya, has described the December 20 Special Senatorial Elections as successful, noting that polls opened in most places on time.
Chairman Korkoya reported during the release of provisional results Monday that out of the 4,701 polling places in the country, 1,636 polling places have reported results with 183,052 votes already counted and tallied.
He said the recorded voter turnout for polling places so far amounts to 27.9 percent, adding that the tallying of election results commenced throughout the country early Sunday morning at the various magisterial tally centers in the presence of local and international observer groups, the media, party and candidate agents.
Kokoya used the occasion to remind political parties and candidates to properly channel complaints about polling, counting or tallying irregularities to the various NEC Magisterial offices across the country.
He said among the candidates, only Conmany Wesseh officially won the River Gee slot with 100% of the votes in that county already counted and that Wesseh garnered 2,672 votes representing 26.1%. followed by Jonathan B. Sogbie of the APD who obtained 1,719 votes representing 16.8%.
He said in Montserrado County with 113 polling places counted out of 1,522 constituting 7.42%, George Weah of the CDC obtained 8,913 votes representing 79.7% followed by independent candidate, Robert Sirleaf who has so far obtained 1,247 votes representing 11.2%.
Incumbent Prince Y. Johnson is in a commanding lead in Nimba County with 301 polling places out of 598 constituting 50.33%, he has acquired 17,076 votes representing 62.1%, followed Edith Gongloe-Weh who has obtained 5,740 votes representing 20.9%.
In Bomi County, provisional results from 29 polling places out of 150 places (19.33%) puts Unity Party’s Morris Saytumah ahead of incumbent Senator Lahai Lansanah with 1,990 votes constituting 54.7 percent and 1,137 votes amounting to 31.2 percent respectively.
Alternative National Congress candidate Daniel Naatehn is in the lead in Gbarpolu County with 1,690 votes (29.4%) with Unity Party candidate Gertrude Lamin struggling closely to make a difference with 1, 009 votes constituting 17.6 percent.
In Grand Bassa County, incumbent Senator Gbehzohngar Findley is finding it difficult to return to the National Legislature with Liberty Party’s Jonathan Kaipay in a sharp lead with 10,360 votes (57.8%) while Findley drags along with a 6,656 votes (37.1%), according to provisional results from 187 out of 347 polling places amounting to (53.89%).
In Grand Cape Mount County, provisional results put Unity Party Chairman Varney Sherman in a commanding lead with 1,281 votes (70.0%), while CDC’s Fodee Kromah moves far behind with 315 votes (17.2%) and incumbent Senator Abel Massaley drags further with 131 votes constituting 7.2 percent as indicated by provisional results from 11 polling places of 153 polling places (7.19%).
In Grand Gedeh County, the CDC’s A. Marshall Dennis obtained 2,623 (29.7%), putting him in a the lead, while PUP’s George Boley followed closely with a total vote of 1,864 votes (21.1%).
In South Eastern Grand Kru County, independent candidate Albert Chie took the lead with 5,430 votes constituting 50.0%, with the Unity Party’s Rosalind Sneh coming next with 1,778 votes (16.4%).
In Lofa County, according to provisional results from 169 out of the 395 polling centers, Liberty Party’s Stephen Zargo has taken a slight lead with 6,663 votes (28.4%),
According to the provisional results, in Margibi County, CDC’s Ansu Sonii is battling to unseat incumbent Senator Clarice Jah with a lead of 2,606 votes (36.5%) with PUP’s Jim Tornonlah coming next with 2,283 votes (31.9%).
In Maryland County, with 79.0% or 113 of 143 polling places reported, Dr. Bhofal Chambers of the Congress for Democratic Change is in the lead with 4,798 votes amounting to 38.1%, while his nearest opponent, Gbleh-bo Brown secured 3,190 votes or 25.3% with.incumbent John Ballout in a dismal fifth position with 708 votes, about 5.6%.
With 50.4% or 60 of the 119 polling places already counted, Milton Teahjay of the ruling Unity Party (UP) is in the lead with 3,773 votes, equivalent to about 50.2%, followed by incumbent Mobutu V. Nyenpahn of the Alliance for Peace and Democracy with 2,863 or about 38.1%.
LINA