For most Liberians the presidential and legislative elections slated for October 2023 are so cardinal that it will either make or break their country Liberia after going through almost five years of economic hardship under the George Weah-led regime, which was birthed out of the Coalition for Democratic Change tripartite agreement between the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) of former football icon George Weah, former ruling National Patriotic Party (NPP) of jailed former Liberian president Charles Taylor and former House Speaker Alex Tyler’s Liberia People’s Democratic Party (LPDP) in 2017. However, the NPP was headed by Taylor’s ex-wife, Jewel Howard Taylor, who was political leader and standard bearer when the political marriage with the CDC took place in 2017.
In so doing, the Dean of the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, Cllr. Jallah A. Barbu, has added his voice to hundreds of thousands Liberians’ voices who want their compatriots residing in the diaspora to vote comes the 2023 presidential and legislative elections, by calling on the government of Liberia to initiate a step-by-step process of absentee voting for diaspora Liberians to partake in the electoral process by voting from their respective diaspora destinations.
According to a local daily, FrontPage Africa, Cllr. Barbu made the call on Thursday, at the Sixth Edition of the Institute for Constitutional Research, Policy, and Strategic Development (ICRPSD) roundtable discussion on the topic: “Can I vote in 2023 Elections While out of Liberia as a citizen?”
Speaking to over 20 people including lawyers, lawmakers, and representatives of the All-Liberian Conference on dual citizenship, Cllr. Barbu noted that, for government to deprive its citizens of the right to enjoy choosing who should lead them on the basis of lack of resources is absolutely improper and unconstitutional.
According to him, a step-by-step process of absentee voting will send a message as a substantial step towards correcting a problem which he believes, the government including the Legislature should do.
Cllr. Barbu maintained in his presentation: “The constitutional right to vote in absentia, guarantee for absentee in the Liberian constitution of January 6, 1985.”
He said 36 years ago, Liberians established a new constitution replacing the Constitution that had governed them since July 1847 (139 years).
Cllr. Barbu further stated during the roundtable discussion, on the topic, “Does a citizen of the Republic of Liberia have the fundamental right to freely and fairly cast a ballot in any political election, irrespective of where he or she is at the time of election” was important as the country gears up for election.
He maintained that the constitution and preamble set the basis for the establishment of each provision of our Constitution.
He said it is clear in the constitution that there should not be any segregation between Liberians for any reason as citizens are constituents of one unit regardless of their history.
He then reemphasized the need for the government to make laws that will unify citizens and not divide them, adding “more significantly the need to afford every Liberian justice and protection of their human rights including them voting as Liberians who are out of Liberia to partake in Liberia’s electoral processes ahead of 2023 Elections.”
It can be recalled Liberians who fled Liberia during the height of the Liberian civil war and other who left the country to seek greener pasture prior to the civil war, have been pushing the Liberian government to give grant their constitutional rights to vote from wherever they are in the world.
Political pundits have always said Liberians residing outside of the country should be given their constitutional rights to exercise their civil liberty by voting for their leaders at home, just as other countries of the globe do.
