Liberian President’s Ban on Rallies Is Seen as Political

             Anger has been building for days over a decree by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia that bans all political rallies in Monrovia, the capital, which she said had been meant to prevent the further spread of Ebola.
Continue reading the main story
Critics allege her real motivation was to promote a victory for her son, Robert, in a hotly contested Senate race against George Weah, a former soccer star, presidential aspirant and opponent of Mrs. Sirleaf.

The Senate election, already postponed once because of the Ebola epidemic, has been rescheduled for Dec. 16, and there is a chance it could be postponed again by Liberia’s Supreme Court on Monday.

Mrs. Sirleaf, speaking in an interview late last month at her presidential mansion in Monrovia, said the elections should go forward as scheduled, in part to help avert a constitutional crisis. “By January, 50 percent of the Senate would have no mandate,” she said.

However, she expressed concern about the risks of mass gatherings that could spread Ebola just as Liberia, one of the three West African countries at the center of the outbreak, had begun to show signs of gaining momentum in fighting it.

Mrs. Sirleaf said she was particularly troubled by a rally held on Nov. 28 for Mr. Weah, in which thousands of young supporters crammed together for hours along Monrovia’s main thoroughfare. “Those people are interacting and interacting without caution, so anyone there who is infected can easily pass it to dozens of others without knowing it,” she said. “We have to have more rigorous containment of the campaigning process.”

The Supreme Court is considering petitions challenging both the elections themselves and Mrs. Sirleaf’s order. It had previously put a stay on campaigning, and on Saturday it temporarily blocked the executive order until arguments are heard.

In a twist, Mrs. Sirleaf’s son filed one of the petitions against the order, since it also prohibits his supporters from gathering en masse. “It is not in favor of candidates like us who have not held our rallies,” Jacob Kabakole, one of Mr. Sirleaf’s senior advisers, said in an interview.

Mr. Weah’s party, the Congress for Democratic Change, “will not be abiding by the unlawful act of the executive,” Wilson Tarpeh, Mr. Weah’s campaign manager, said in an interview.

Regardless of political allegiances, the prospect of elections has genuinely concerned those most involved in fighting Ebola.

In Foya district, where the outbreak began, officials discussed last month how to reduce the risks of campaign events known for their volatile mixture of youth and palm wine. “If I had my way, I’d postpone elections until Ebola is out, because it’s going to be very difficult to control,” said Tennyson Falkornia, the district superintendent.