This statement was originally published on cemespliberia.org on 15 September 2020.
The Center for Media Studies and Peacebuilding-CEMESP condemns the increase of electoral violence including attacks on journalist Omaska Jallah of The News newspaper who has sustained severe injuries to his head while carrying out his official reportorial duties.
The attack on Journalist Jallah occurred at the ongoing Voter Roll Update in Grand cape Mount County, Western Liberia.
The brutal attacks on the Legislative correspondent of The News newspaper was orchestrated by nonresidents of the County who were trucked in by politicians to form part of the current voters’ registration process but were resisted by citizens on grounds that they were “strange”.
“As I went to have the message from some elders of the Bomi county recorded, the trucked voters took cutlasses, knives and other deadly weapons and attacked me,” Jallah narrated. The attackers meanwhile made away with several valuables including mobile phones, cash and a digital audio recorder.
CEMESP Executive Director Malcolm Joseph says, the trucking of voters is illegal under the elections law of Liberia and no journalist should be a victim of any form of violation by commercial voters or politicians.
“We are therefore calling on the National Elections Commission and the Liberian National Police to proactively address electoral violence ahead of the midterm senatorial election scheduled for December 8, 2020,” Joseph said.
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Source: MEDIA FEED
