MONROVIA, Liberia (AP) — One of Liberia's largest political parties is calling for a halt to counting of election results, citing voting irregularities and fraud.

Liberty Party supporters gathered to protest at party headquarters Thursday, claiming polls in the West African nation opened late and that there was ballot-tampering.

The National Election Commission has said it will start to release provisional results Thursday evening. Spokesman Henry Boyd Flomo says the commission is ready to listen to official complaints but that vote-counting will continue.

The Liberty Party's flag-bearer is Charles Brumskine, a corporate lawyer who placed third in 2005 elections and fourth in 2011.

Liberians on Tuesday voted among 20 candidates to succeed Nobel Prize winner Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as president. A runoff election is likely.