By: Martin K. N. Kollie
Rescue John Rambo and Chairman
Research and Rapid Response
JNB for President 2023
The FRR/VR is a register or a list of all Liberians who are registered, qualified, and authorized to vote on October 10, 2023. The FRR/VR also captures basic information relating to voting precincts, polling places, voters per polling place, names, photos, VR numbers, etc. This list is very important because it helps to ensure election integrity.
Why is the National Elections Commission (NEC) delaying to publish it? To date, no Liberian voter knows where s/he is going to vote. Stakeholders, including political parties, independent observers, and international partners, do not even have access to this list yet. The electorates or registered voters have to verify their information. But how, when, and where? Why is the NEC wasting time with this very important list when we have just 21 more days to the October 2023 election?
The Voter Roll Exhibition took place from June 12-17, 2023. After counterchecking, verifying, and cleaning your database, you, the NEC, told us that 27,000 Liberians did register twice (e.g. double registration). Since then, what is preventing you from publishing the final listing?
THE LAW:
Section 16.5: The FRR shall be available for public inspection during business hours.
Section 16.6: Stakeholders should have electronic copies of this FRR in a secured form.
Section 16.7: The FRR cannot be altered by the NEC within 30 days prior to an election, except when the Supreme Court orders them to do so.
We want everyone to read Section 16.7 again. The screenshot of this provision is attached. So if this document or list cannot be altered or changed within 30 days prior to the election, it means that the NEC has already finalized the list because we only have 21 more days prior to the election. Are you understanding the logic of our argument? The NEC would have had an argument if this list was not published 10 days ago. But we only have 21 more days to go.
Madam Davidetta Brown-Lansanah, where is this list? It is our right to know these facts:
1) Where will the 2,471,617 registered voters be voting? In fact, who are they? Are their names captured on this list? If not, how can they file/forward a complaint to you (NEC) to correct your ‘mistake’ (e.g. omitted names) when you are intentionally delaying to publish this list?
2) Where are the 2,080 voting precincts and 5,890 polling places located? We (voters, political parties, civil society actors, election observers, and international partners) need to do onsite verification before the election. No time.
NEC, please publish this list. Henceforth, we will remind you, madam Davidetta Brown-Lansanah, every day about this list. Why are you keeping it? To do what with it? This process has to be open, free, fair, and transparent. We are interested in PEACE – we stand for PEACE and stability. But anything less than publishing this list in time, we foresee a crisis.
If there is chaos in Liberia, which we are not hoping for, do not think that you and your families are going to run away. This caution goes to the entire NEC, especially commissioners. STOP planting seeds of discord, suspicion, and electoral fraud. Do what is right in order to safeguard our democracy, preserve our peace, and protect our sovereignty. Obey election laws, regulations, and statutes.
Fun Fact: Is the NEC waiting for the CDC to buy more voter cards first before they can publish this list?
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE THE FRR/VR. This list was published almost 2 months before the election in 2017. Why delay in 2023?
To all opposition political parties: You need to take this very seriously.
In Photo: NEC Boss, Voters are verifying in 2017, and a screenshot of the NEC Law on FRR/VR.
Cc: NEC Liberia
US Embassy Monrovia Liberia
Ecowas – Cedeao
African Union
European Union in Liberia
The Carter Center
National Democratic Institute
Liberia Council of Churches
National Muslim Council of Liberia
Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr.
Alexander B Cummings Jr.
Tiawan Saye Gongloe
