PHOTO: NEC Chair, David-Etta Brown-Lansanah flanked by members of board of commissioners
By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
The National Elections Commission is said to be reviewing the regulations and guidelines on pre–campaigning by political parties, coalition, collaboration and independent candidates in this year’s presidential and legislative elections, which is less than 9 months away.
But in Chapter 5, Section 5.2 of the existing political parties and independent candidates guidelines and regulation pre-campaigning is, “Publishing or distributing campaign literature, posters, flyers, buttons, T-shirts, caps or other promotional items designed to support the election of any aspirant/candidate for elective public office,” among other things.
D of Section 4.2 of this same election regulation add: “An aspirant or candidate found to have violated any of the herein provision against premature activities shall be ineligible to contest the election to which the violation relates.”
NEC Chairperson, David-Etta Brown-Lansanah told a news conference Tuesday, February 7, 2023 that as soon as the reviewing of the regulations and guidelines on pre-campaigning is completed, it will be released to the public.
Speaking at the launching of the press briefing on biometric voter registration in Monrovia, Madam Lansanah directed that all political parties, coalition, collaboration and independent candidates must respect the schedule campaign, which is from August 5th , to October 8th, for this year’s presidential and legislative elections.
According to Madam Lansanah, the Political Department of NEC is currently developing the new regulation and penalties that will be associated with the offense.
Meanwhile, the National Elections Commission has officially launched the 2023 Biometric Voter Registration (BVR), Bi-Monthly Briefing Session ahead of the 2023 General Elections.
According to the NEC chairperson, key amongst the objectives of the Biometric Voter Registration Bi-Monthly Briefing Session is to regularly provide updates and engage the public on the Biometric Voter Registration which begins on 20 March 2023 ends on 11 May 2023.
She explained that the Laxton Group, the vendor procuring the equipments for the Biometric Voters Registration Voters Registration, has been working with NEC and the United Nations technical team purposely to ensure that the software is built for the BVR exercise.
Madam Lansanah added that the Laxton Group has also conducted first and second texting of the equipment ; adding: “the first wasat the NEC headquarters and the second on January 25th, 2013 in Division 16, Firestone Rubber Plantation in Margibi County.”
Eddie Jawolo, NAYMOTE Moses Kwehai, Sec. Gen. PUP
“Presently,” she went on, “the Liberian government has allotted 18.37 million United States Dollars but has released 14,225,000 United States Dollars has been released thus far.”
“The balance of 4,150,000 United States Dollars is due and expected to be placed in this national budget, and NEC has been in consultation with the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning in order release the fund in order to support the contract agreement with the Laxton Group.”
Lansanah encouraged the political parties, collaboration, coalition and independent candidates to continue to promote a non-violence electoral process because the commission will not hesitate to apply the sanction where it is needed and necessary.
Speaking on behalf of political parties, the National Secretary General of the People’s Unification Party, Moses Kwehai, expressed disappointment on the failure on the part of NEC to talk about pre-campaign by some political parties, and politicians in the country.
Some members of the auduience who graced the launchiong of the BVR by NEC
According to him, the recent display by the Coalition for Democratic Change clearly demonstrate a fragarnt pre-campaigning , which violates the electoral guidelines in the country.
“We have thaught that the commission would have fined the CDC but we only hear the announcement of the launching of the BVR , spell out the guidelines of the forbiding pre-campaigning.”
“We consider this violation very seriously because if the commission does be proactive,” he went on, “ other political parties, colaition , collaboration will soon begin and we will be boiled in violation of the electoral laws.”
For his part, the Executive Director of the National Youth Movment for Trasperent Elections, Eddie Jawolo, who spoke on behalf of the civil society organizations said the maintenance of peace is a major concern to the CSOs.
According to him, electiuon that is not properly managed has the propensity for political crisis and chaos.
Jawolo explaessed disappointment on the slow pace of financial support to NEC because the CSOs have explicit confidence that the commission can con duct free, fair and transperant elections in the country.
Statements of support also came from the United Nations Development Program, represented by Aaron Tingba, , Political Party Campaign Finance Specialist; Ambassador Laurent Delahousse. Head of delegation of the European Union; Michael Tohannes, of the United States Agency for International; Development, the President of the Liberia Marketing Association, Elizabelt Sambolai, among many others.