By: Peter Dennis

IPNews-Bong County: A civil society Organization under the banner, He For She Crusaders of Liberia wants the National Referendum to be rescheduled for 2021.

According to a press statement from its Bong County Coordinator, Mr. Alex Prince Johnson, the postponement of the National Referendum to March of 2021 will allow for adequate public nation-wide dissemination of the prepositions, awareness, and education of the Liberian populace

Alex said the National Elections Commission needs to be funded to create the means (symbol for each proposition), begin a sustained civic education and awareness on the referendum throughout the Republic to enable citizens’ vote for or against each proposition from an informed position.

The He for She Crusaders’ Bong Coordinator however wants an Increase and sustained public awareness on the National Referendum through the information services of the Republic and encourage stakeholder organizations and international partners to conduct massive education nationally, including sub-national, district and grass root levels.

The group however recommends 50% Women Representation in governance including Affirmative Action as well as ensures the Elimination of Harmful Culture practices against women and girls

The statement continued that “Non Discriminative against person with Disabilities (PWDs) in governance including Affirmative Action.

The gender sensitive organization also wants the age of Marriage be 18 years and above with the Language of the Constitution be Gender Neutral.

The release noted that it is glaring that the National Elections Commission (NEC), the body constitutionally charged with the responsibility to conduct the Referendum has neither done any symbols for each of the propositions, nor begun any civic education on the propositions for the understanding of the public consistent with Article 92 of the 1986 Constitution of the Liberia which also provides that …”if more than one
proposed amendment is to be voted upon in a Referendum they shall be submitted in such manner that the people may vote for or against them separately.

Chapter XII, Article 92 of the 1986 Constitution of the Republic of Liberia mandates that each proposed amendment shall be submitted in such a manner that they can be voted in favor of, or against, separately.

Article 92 of the 1986 Constitution of the Liberia further provides that an Official Gazette shall be made known to the people through the information services; the national broadcaster and information channels of the Republic, and howbeit no such publication has been done with the minimally requisite awareness;

“The spirit and intent behind the publication and keeping the people fully and adequately informed by way of mass public awareness and education for at least one year after the action of the Legislature is intended to engender massive public knowledge and generate interest and popular participation for ratification by two-thirds of the registered voters voting in the Referendum conducted by the NEC (Article 91 of the 1986 Constitution of the Liberia)” the young leader said in a press statement.

According to Alex Prince Johnson, the lack of public awareness and civic education, coupled with the lack of symbols for each of the propositions may negatively impact the outcome of the referendum because of a population accustomed to voting for faces and not symbols.

Johnson believes that the politics about and surrounding the Special Senatorial Elections has overwhelmed the already less publicized Referendum.

He thinks that changing in part or the Constitution of the Republic is not as regularly frequent, and decisions taken at the polls shall be final and have binding effect on all for a long period, and the Women of Liberia, like other segments of the Liberian society will be affected.

Alex admitted that Liberians see the proposed referendum as a national and patriotic endeavor which has a long -term binding effect.

“We as civil society organization in partnership with other women-based organizations have consulted, reviewed and studied the implementation process and required preconditions for the holding of the National Referendum and unanimously agreed to communicate our common position on the national referendum” he told Liberians.

The Government of Liberia constituted the Constitution Review Committee (CRC) in 2012 to hold extensive public consultations and solicit the perspectives of the Liberian people for the likely amendments of the Constitution of Liberia.

The CRC conducted the process locally and in the diaspora with Liberians. Had a National Constitutional Conference (NCC) in Gbarnga, Bong County with the adequate participation of the larger Liberian populace, represented by women organizations, youth groups, political structures, business entities, among others.

As a result of the CRC consultations and NCC, the CRC submitted its report in 2015 and the process was transitioned to the National Legislature of Liberia where the Liberian law makers discussed, debated, and scaled down the prepositions and passed a resolution.