The Supreme Court of Liberia has sharply reacted to a statement made by the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) that the court committed a deliberate and unjustified violation of the Liberian Constitution regarding the election case emanating from Grand Cape Mount County, involving CPP’s candidate, Simeon B. Taylor, and the Coalition for Democratic Change’s candidate, Victor V. Watson.
While considering the statement as reckless, irresponsible and without any iota of truth, the Supreme Court, in a statement, said it has in no way violated any provision of the Constitution, describing the CPP insinuation as yet another attempt by politicians to unduly draw the court into politics, set the people against the court and undermine the respect for the rule of law.
The high court reminded the CPP that it has the Constitutional duty to hear and decide all appeals from the Board of Commissioners of the National Elections Commission (NEC) in election cases to ensure that the true desire of the people, through their votes, is protected and upheld. “In all such cases, fairness is the prime objective. And in executing this Constitutional mandate, the court has the exclusive power to affirm, reverse or modify decisions of the NEC; the court may also reverse and remand cases with instructions to the NEC to conduct further investigations in such election cases where the court determines that the investigations conducted by the NEC were not thorough and conclusive for a fair decision,” the Supreme Court noted.
According to the Supreme Court, an appeal from the ruling of the Board of Commissioners of the NEC in the referenced case was taken to the Supreme Court by the CDC; the case was argued, and the court rendered an opinion within the Constitutional timeframe of seven days after hearing. In the opinion, the court reversed the final ruling of the Board of Commissioners of the NEC and, in its judgment, remanded the case to the NEC and instructed the NEC to take seize of the matter and conduct further investigation into the case.
“On the mandate and instruction of the Supreme Court, the NEC resumed jurisdiction over the case for full investigation, especially in those areas as indicated in the court’s judgment. The case was therefore removed from the Supreme Court back to the NEC. And since that time, no party has filed a complaint with the court regarding the execution of the mandate given to the NEC by this court, neither has any party come back to the court on an appeal,” the Supreme Court said in the press release.
The court has wondered about the basis of the CPP’s assertion that the court was delaying the case, and thereby threatening the peace and security of the country.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court says it is particularly concerned about the constant threatening statements by politicians against members of the Supreme Court and subordinate courts. It has become common in Liberia today for politicians, knowing the vulnerability and gullibility of the Liberian people, to denigrate the court, incite members of the public to violence, chaos, and instability whenever cases are not decided in their favor. “These actions of politicians have brought members of the Judiciary, including Justices and Judges, to personal danger in recent times,” the release, signed by Atty. Darryl Ambrose Nmah, Sr., noted.