Date Published: 11/07/11

U.S. condemns boycott of election in Liberia

The U.S. government in Monrovia on Monday condemned the decision of Liberia’s leading opposition party, the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), to boycott the country’s presidential run-off election.

Mr Winston Tubman, the party’s presidential candidate, had on Friday announced that he was not going to participate in the election, alleging fraud by the electoral commission in the first round.

A statement signed by Victoria Nuland, the spokeswoman of the government, said the U. S. government was disappointed with the position of the CDC.

The West Africa correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quotes the statement as saying that CDC’s allegation ``is unsubstantiated''.

``As witnessed by international and domestic observers, Liberia’s Oct. 11 first round presidential and legislative elections were fair, free and transparent.

``We are supportive of moving forward with the Nov. 8 election,’’ the statement added.

NAN reports that the ECOWAS and AU had earlier condemned the planned boycott.

(NAN)