NEC Chair Says Elections Budget Cut From US$90-53 Million
PHOTO: NEC Chairperson, David-Etta Browen-Lansanah addressing the press
By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
With presidential and legislative elections some 8 months away, the National Elections Commission (NEC) has observed that the slow pace of financial inflow by the Liberian government has propensity to affect the activities leading to the holding of the October 10 polls.
NEC Chairperson, David-Etta Brown-Lansanah disclosed that the commission proposed the total budget of 90 million United States Dollars, but only 53 million United States Dollars was approved and so far, about 21 million United States Dollars has been deposited into the account of the commission.
Madam Lansanah made the disclosure at the press conference organized by NEC in Monrovia to brief the public on preparations for the Biometric Voters’ Registration during the weekend.
According to her, activities that could be affected by the slow pace of financial support from the government are the procurement of electoral materials, paying of vendors, paying of hire workers among many others.
She explained that the training of 3,195 biometric voters’ registration staffs will start soon and the commission has published voters registration centers for the first face in accordance to 3.2 A of the new elections law.
“Several demonstrations of the BVR have been done for the members of the Liberia Marketing Association, the political parties and the preparation is underway for a demonstration to be conducted for members of the national legislature,” she said; adding: “the biometric voters’ registration software has been tested and it is ready for implementation.”
Lansanah pointed out that materials for centralized infrastructure and voters management systems severs have arrived in the country.
Meanwhile, the commission has announced the introduction of personal data potter because it will help reduce the time it will take to register a registrant at the registration center.
According to her, after an eligible voter submits his or her personal data online the registrant will have to go to the registration center to complete his or her registration.
Lansanah informed the audience that each BVR worker will take his or her BVR registration at the center he or she is assigned and the online submission of data is optional.
“More than 20 officials and technicians of Laxton group are currently in the country purposely to assist with training, logistics , preparation for the arrival of equipments and setting up of the sever at the data center.”
She indicated that some Liberians, who are computer literate have also been hired by Laxton Group for the period of the BVR.
The NEC chairperson furthered that two technical staffs from the Independent Election Commission in Sierra Leone were in Liberia purposely for experience sharing, electoral documentation and information with the National Election Commission for five days.
“This is in line with the West African regional organization electoral body, the Network of Electoral Commission (ECONET) whose sole responsibility is for the forum for sharing experience, electoral and best practices in ECOWAS member-states.”
According to her, Sierra Leone electoral staffs were selected because they have the experience in using biometric voters; moreover, coincidently, they used Laxton Group in their country and it is the same company that Liberia electoral authority is posed to used.
Commenting on the civic and voters awareness, Madam Lansanah made it clear that the voters awareness of the BVR is going on in the six counties that the first face of biometric voters’ registration since the launch of the campaign on the February 26, 2023.
“The launch of the civic and voters education activities,” she went on, “it also these activities in Bomi, Gbapolu, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount and Mount Gibi and Montserrado Counties and the CVE launch for the second face is scheduled for March 24, 2023.”
She explained that posted designed by NEC and printed by the UNDP are been distributed at the grass root levels as well as jingoes and dramas depicting BVR exercise are also been aired all local community radio stations throughout the country.
“Over 400 civil society organizations and community based organizations have been accredited by NEC to continue the civic voters’ awareness throughout Liberia.”
The commission is therefore encouraging local and international nongovernmental organizations, observers and the media interested in observing the 2023 BVR process to apply for accreditation now because the process has been extended to March 17, 2023.
The NEC Chairperson maintained that so far, the commission has received accreditation request from seven international organizations and embassies, nine national organizations and several media institutions.
She pointed out that 30 agents of political parties will also be accredited to observe the process and the presentation of accreditation to observers will begin later this week.
Lansanah called on stake holders to effectively play their parts because election is everybody business in order to mitigate risk in the process and called on stake holders that may come.
The NEC Chairperson named the ricks or challenges as misinformation, disinformation, fake news and other obstacles that have the propensity to derail the BVR process.
The NEC boos has appealed to all partners to work with the commission to create a credible voter registration roll for the 2023 presidential and legislative elections in Liberia.