Irregularities, Intimidation Cloud Voting in Liberia

In an election marred by obvious irregularities and some instances of voter intimidation, Liberians turned out in large numbers Tuesday to choose a civilian government.

All business activity in this capital and in rural villages came to a standstill as long lines of voters waited in the West African sun to choose among four presidential candidates and legislative slates.

There were no formal reports of strong-arm tactics at the country’s 1,800 polling places, but in some rural precincts, it appeared that illiterate voters were being intimidated by election officials to cast their ballots for the chief of state, Samuel K. Doe, a former army sergeant who ousted a longtime civilian regime in 1980.

In addition, an unauthorized polling station was set up at the army barracks in the center of Monrovia, where ballots were handed out to soldiers with virtually no control and without reference to voter registration rolls. Unauthorized polling places were also reported to have been established at several police stations.

The army and police are assumed by opposition candidates to be strong Doe supporters. At the barracks, journalists could see ballots being handed to soldiers. No precautions were taken to prevent these men from voting more than once, and poll-watchers from other parties were not present.

“It may be legal or illegal, but they told us to do it this way,” said an officer of the Special Election Commission, one of several soldiers dispensing ballots at the reviewing stand next to the parade ground.

Of the opposition groups, the Liberia Action Party, headed by presidential candidate Jackson Doe--no relation to the chief of state--appeared to be mounting the strongest challenge. Workers for the ruling party were conspicuous, however, in poor rural areas.

Their influence appeared to be decisive in places where many voters can neither read nor write. In several locations around Kakata, about 40 miles from Monrovia, such voters were forced to declare their preference in front of an election official and several observers.

Most of these voters were poor farmers, dressed in their best clothes for a national occasion. When they hesitated, the election official would bark at them, “Who do you choose?” Virtually all picked Samuel Doe.

Several days will be required to count ballots and announce results.