–15 parties below 2% threshold
By our Staff Writer
Fifteen of the 20 political parties and independent candidates who took part in the October 10 elections are likely to be barred from taking part in two subsequent elections, because they fall below the 2% votes the threshold required, according to Liberia’s new election law amended in 2014.
The law was approved September 17, 2017. And if implemented, this would automatically reduce the number of political parties in the next two elections in this country.
“A political party or independent candidate shall be suspended if the candidate/s nominated in an election for the presidency or a seat in the Legislature receives insufficient support in that election thereby resulting into: a. none of the party’s candidate is elected, and b. the total of all valid votes cast for all candidates in the constituencies in which the party contested, the Commission shall suspend the party’s right to nominate candidate for the next two elections for the same office,” says Chapter 5A 1 under the caption, REVIEW OF PARTY RESULTS.
With 95.6% of the results in so far, the 15 parties and presidential candidates who have failed to hit the 2% target are Benoni Urey of the ALP-1.6%, Joseph Mills Jones (MOVEE)-0.8%, Macdella Cooper (LRP)-0.8%, Henry Boimah Fahnbulleh, Jr (LPP)-0.7%, Macdonald Wento (UPP)-0.6%, Simeon Freeman (MPC)- 0.4%, Isaac Wiles (DJP)-0.4%, Alloysius William Kpadeh (INDEPENDENT) 0.4% , Kenndey Sandy (LTP) 0.4%, William Tuider (NLP) 0.3% , George Dweh (RDC) 0.3%, Jerimiah Whapoe (VOLT) 0.3%, Yarkpajuwur Mator (INDEPENDENT) 0.1% and Wendell Mcintosh (CDA) 0.1%.
Only five of the 20 parties and presidential candidates have so far gone above the two percent threshold required by the new election law. George Weah’s CDC has got 39.0%, Boakai’s UP 29.1%, Charles Brumskine’s LP 9.8%, Alexander Cummings’s ANC 7.1% and Prince Johnson’s MDR 7.1%.
The new election law clarifies that “Paragraph 5 A (1) does not apply to a political party that, at the time of the election had a member continue to hold office as President or as a member of the Legislature.”
However, a provision in the law says a political party or candidate has the right to contest a decision to suspend them by appealing to the Supreme Court.
In recent times, there have been rising concerns in some quarters about the mushrooming of political parties in Liberia. But the October 10 election is the first national polls held after the new election law took effect.
Some of the parties which have taken part in the recent elections were registered and certificated shortly before the just ended presidential and legislative polls.