Latest moves by the Government in recent times are enough to raise eyebrows not only among opposition political parties and their supporters but also among Liberians, who believe in the tenets of democracy and free, fair, and transparent elections, especially so for the upcoming Presidential and Legislative Elections in 2023.
The first of the moves is an attempt by the government through the Legislature to amend the new Elections Law of 2014, and if amended, that law will declare vacant all elections magistrates’ seats after 90 days.
In that case, all the magistrates will lose their jobs and if interested, reapply and if not, the possibility of the government selecting its own people to serve as election magistrates is likely.
This is why the proposed amendment of the Elections Law of 2014 is a dangerous move. Dangerous because it is coming at a time the 2023 elections are nearly 14 months away.
The other dangerous move is the recent nomination by President George Weah of Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh, as Chief Justice of the Republic of Liberia.
Madam Youh, who has already been confirmed by the Senate, is the ex-wife of Bomi County Senator Edwin Snowe, who has publicly announced his support for President Weah’s second term of office.
The point here is, one cannot rule out the possibility that Madam Youh as the Chief Justice, who will oversee all disputes deriving from the 2023 elections, could be influenced by his ex-husband, Senator Snowe, whose side in the 2023 elections is already clear.
Regarding the proposed amendment of the 2014 Elections Law, even Deputy House Speaker, Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa, thinks the amendment of the law is a dangerous move by the Government.
The Deputy Speaker has said he will campaign against the passage of a Senate amendment to the New Elections Law of 2014 that declares all elections migrates seats vacant after 90 days.
“It is not the business of the Legislature to interfere with administrative matters of the National Elections Commission,” the Deputy Speaker noted recently.
Koffa’s disapprobation has become a lethal blow to the Senate’s legislative action, which critics have already slammed as a dangerous move ahead of the 2023 presidential and legislative elections.
The Senate’s amendment aims to remove all elections magistrates from their posts and have them reapply if they wish, 90 days upon the amendment’s enactment into law.
Opposition politician and presidential hopeful, Alexander Cummings of the Alternative National Congress (ANC) has abhorred the Senate’s recent decision or plan to remove and replace all electoral magistrates, who he said are trained and experienced.
“This decision is not recommended by the National Elections Commission and is unsupported by any reasoning that advances our nation’s need for increased fairness and improved credibility in our electoral processes,” Cummings said in his recent opened letter to President Weah.
In his letter, Cummings also said the latest development leaves an unfortunate impression that it is unhelpful, if not even hurtful to the conduct of free, fair and credible elections in 2023, a process that he says is pivotal to the consolidation of peace, security and democracy in the country.
It is based upon the aforementioned that we think the proposed amendment of the 2014 Elections Law is a dangerous move.
