Pleebo-Sodoken District, Maryland County – In a ten-count resolution, the Elders Council of Maryland County’s Pleebo-Sodoken District has warned the National Elections Commission not to tamper with the results of Maryland County’s electoral district #2. The resolution follows a complaint brought before the NEC Board of Commissioners by defeated Maryland County District #2 Representative Bhofal Chambers over purported election rigging.
They claimed that he prioritized maintaining a close relationship with the executive branch under President Weah and lacked a history of opposing or taking a radical stance against the executive’s excesses. In addition to expressing gratitude and appreciation to the Almighty God, the people of Pleebo-Sodoken District also congratulated the Liberian government on the orderly conduct of the presidential and legislative elections, which aimed to select a new generation of leaders. After losing in 2005, Chambers was attempting to win for a record fourth time in a row, which would have made him one of the longest-serving lawmakers in Liberia’s post-war history.
The Elders Council of Maryland County’s Pleebo-Sodoken District decided that the district’s citizens, chiefs, men, women, youth, and other constituents had spoken through the voting booth by choosing their representative. The resolution further said that the National Elections Commission must recognize the decision taken by the people of Maryland County’s Pleebo-Sodoken District.
According to the resolution, the NEC Magistrate and co-workers in Maryland County have meticulously tabulated and collated the tallied sheets containing the votes of each political party and independent candidates being represented. The resolution made it clear that before awarding each candidate the number of votes they received, the magistrate, coworkers, representatives of the parties, and observers had inspected and closely examined each candidate’s performance during the voting process. According to the Pleebo-Sodoken District’s resolution, incumbent Representative Bohfal Chambers has served continuously for the previous 18 years without facing any opposition. However, they have since realized that the tide has shifted in favor of Anthony F. Williams, as their spokesperson.
The defeat marks an unexpected turn of events in his illustrious political career with a record-breaking 18 years of service in the national legislature, including six years as Speaker of the 54th national legislature, Chambers has been a prominent figure in legislative politics in Maryland County. He ran unsuccessfully in 2014 for the Senate in an effort to represent the county in the national legislature’s upper level.
Chambers was well-known for speaking out against bad governance, corruption, and some of the policies of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf when he was in the opposition. At a state ceremony, he even declined to shake hands with former President Sirleaf, which caused mixed reactions from the general public.
Critics of Chambers contend that he did not fully advance the policies he had previously supported when in the opposition during his time as Speaker of the House under the Coalition for Democratic Change government. Bhofal Chambers, the once all-powerful Speaker of the House of Representatives, appeared to have lost his legislative seat as he trailed his main rival, Anthony Williams, a former student leader at the state-run University of Liberia.
They asserted that he had no past record of opposing or taking a radical stand against the excesses of the executive branch and instead placed a high priority on keeping tight ties with President Weah’s administration.
The election results, which see the vast majority of the current lawmakers not reelected, serve as a symbol of the shifting dynamics within the Liberian political space and emphasise the significance of citizens’ engagement in shaping the country’s future. Pleebo-Sodoken District #2 representative Elect Anthony F. Williams’ victory highlights the changing political landscape within the nation.
Reported by: Augustine Octavius
Contact: +231777463963
Email: augustineoctavius@gmail.com
