Monrovia — Local Voices Liberia has fact checked a claim made by Commerce Inspector General Josephine Davis that her political party, the Congress for Democratic Change, won “all 72 seats in the 2005 general elections”.
Report By: Varney Kelvin Sirleaf, Local Voices Liberia Fact Checker
The claim, which was made when Madam Davis appeared at a local intellectual forum in Monrovia, was later widely circulated by a number of radio stations.
However, relevant data in our possession from the International Republican Institute, a US Based organization that monitored and kept data on the 2005 general elections, show that there were 64 seats contested for in the House of Representatives and 30 in the Liberia Senate.
The data also show that out of the 64 seats contested at the House of Representatives, the CDC won 10 out of 14 available seats in Montserrado County; won one of the three seats in River Gee, one of the seven total seats in Nimba; one of the six seats in Bong, one of the three seats in Bomi and one of the three seats in Grand Gedeh County – totaling 15 seats in the House of Representatives.
In the Senate, the CDC also won all two available seats in Montserrado County and one of the two available seats in Margibi County — bringing the party’s total representation to three in the Senate.
The total number of seats won by the Congress for Democratic Change in the 2005 General elections was 18 and not 72 as claimed by Madam Davis. The National Elections Commission currently has no data on its website about the 2005 Legislative elections.
This means the claim made by Madam Davis that the CDC won 72 seats in the Legislature is incorrect.
Claim | Verdict |
The Congress for Democratic Change Won 72 seats at the Legislature during the 2005 general elections | Incorrect. The CDC won 15 out of the 64 seats at the House of Representatives and three out of the 30 seats in the Senate |
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LVL Fact Checking Desk is part of the Liberia Media Initiative co-financed by the European Union. The funder had no say in the production of this report.