As Series Of Possible BY-elections Will Bleed The National
DENL’s Director, Kwenneh Tooman Leads The Campaign
By Emmanuel Mafelah, mafelahemmanuel29@gmail.com
GBARNGA, Liberia- Ahead of the December 8 special senatorial elections, a daughter of Bong County has called on citizens of Liberia to reject the senatorial bid of sitting representatives across the Country.
Madam Dorothy Kwenneh Toomann, former Development Education Network of Liberia (DEN-L) Executive Director said electing current representatives to the Liberian senate will further increase hardship on the ordinary people.
The DENL Director was speaking to Journalists in Gbarnga last Friday, August 14, 2020.
Every incumbent Representative in the House that wins the upcoming Senatorial race will be putting additional financial burden on the Liberian government, which is cash-strapped, as that will be the holding of a series of Representative By-election running into millions of US dollars.
This current trend is engendering widespread public resentment in some quarters around the country, judging by vocal calls on live phone-in talk shows about the huge and unnecessary financial burden that will be put on the already dwindling public coffers.
While running, these individuals can maintain their lucrative posts, as the current law is in their favour and they are not obliged to resign before or during the race for the Senate.
Already, the ruling CDC party is fielding several of its sitting Representatives including Montserrado County District # 5 Rep. Thomas Fallah on the list to contest the upcoming Senatorial polls.
In Bong County itself, current Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives from the former ruling Unity Party and this county, Rep. Prince Moye will be contesting the upcoming Senatorial seat on December 8.
In Margibi and Gbarpolu counties, two sitting CDC Representatives, Ivar Jones and Alfred Koiwu are also being fielded in the December 8 Senatorial elections, among others.
Also in Liberia’s western Bomi County, sitting Representative, Edwin Snowe, who just got elected for a six-year term in 2017 is joining the Senatorial race.