-Says Gongloe
IPNEWS – Monrovia – In the wake of the upcoming 2023 Presidential and Legislative Elections, one of the country’s opposition parties, has predicted a constitutional crisis if the National Elections Commission (NEC) cannot put in “appropriate counter-prevailing measures.”
The opposition Liberia People’s Party (LPP) made the assertion in a special statement read by its political leader, Cllr. Tiawan S. Gongloe Wednesday, December 21, at the Capitol Building, the seat of the Legislature.
In the statement, Cllr. Gongloe stressed that it has observed that NEC has failed to meet its own timeline concerning the electoral process.
In the eight-count statement, the party recommended that NEC be revamped and overhauled, beginning with the appointment of a new chairperson, to enhance transparency and accountability in the electoral process.
“The government should invite the international community to provide a panel of experts to serve as counterpart body to assist the National Elections Commission conduct a transparent and problem free elections.
The LPP further thinks that to get the system fixed, the government should request the international community to provide a technical expert to assist the NEC Data Center during voter registration and the vote tabulation processes.
The party continued that the government implements the recommendations from a NEC/UNDP Workshop calling for the setting up of an AD HOC panel of judges drawn from the current crop of judges to handle all disputes arising from the conduct of the elections in order to reduce delays due to a possible heavy caseload of election disputes reaching the Supreme Court.
Also among the recommendations, the LPP continued that the Legislature directs NEC to state a definitive date no later than January 15, 2023 for the commencement of the voters registration exercise in order to give ample time to potential voters, especially first-time voters to familiarize themselves with the voting procedures.
At the same time, the LPP stated that given the delay in conducting the National Housing and Population Census and the potential delay in constituency demarcation, the electoral districts currently in use be retained for the conduct of the 2023 Elections.
According to the LPP, the current optical mark recognition process used in previous elections be retained as opposed to the Biometric Registration Process, which time constraints certainly militates against.
The LPP further stated that given the random and indiscriminate issuance of National ID Card Registry to unqualified individuals especially foreigners, the use of National ID Cards in the 2023 Voters Registration process be barred.
Again, the LPP alluded that the Legislature, in exercise of its oversight responsibilities, gives special preference to budgetary appropriations for the 2023 Elections and exert extraordinary pressure on the Executive Branch for all disbursements required by the NEC to be timely made.
They then reiterated that all political parties, civil society organizations and the entirety of our citizenry consider these matters as a patriotic obligation and remain seized with ensuring scrupulous compliance by responsible actors by way of meticulous and continuous monitoring of the unfolding processes leading to the 10th October 2023 Elections.
