SACLEPEA, Nimba – Electoral officials have begun recounting ballots in Nimba’s eighth electoral district based on a close race between incumbent Rep. Larry P. Younquoi of the ruling Unity Party and his lead contender, Saye Sylvester Mianah of the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction.

The preliminary results announced by the National Election Commission put the MDR candidate ahead of the incumbent with 19 votes. However, in line with elections law, Younquoi requested a recount.

A statement on NEC’s official website read: “the National Elections Commission has clarified that the Representative result from district #8 in Nimba County will not be announced because there is a difference of only 19 votes between the two leading Candidates, to which the elections law calls for an automatic recount.”

The pronouncement was made by NEC’s Chairman Jerome G. Korkoya on October 19 and the lower magistrate assigned to Nimba, Bledor Flomo, kicked off the three-day recount process in Saclepea on November 1, 2017.

Flomo assured citizens to exhibit restraint as the process goes on and promised to provide all levels of fairness in the recount process and for the people of the district. The magistrate also cautioned citizens to be aware that they may probably not hear of the results until the process is complete.

Nimba has experienced other issues related to the October 10 elections, but those have since been adequately resolved by NEC. In two precincts in the third and fourth electoral districts, there was a rerun of the elections.

The results from this recount process are expected to be announced by NEC after three days.

Featured photo by Aaron Nah