As The Launch Of Biometric Registration Civic And Voter Education Program, But Political Parties And Lawmakers Stayed Away
PHOTO: Cllr. Teplah Reeves, Co-Chairperson of NEC
By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
The National Elections Commission (NEC) has officially launched its civic and voter education on the 2023 biometric voter registration, ahead of the 2023 presidential and legislative elections scheduled for October 10 this year in Liberia, vowing to conduct free, fair, transparent and credible election.
The ceremony, which held at the weekend under the theme: “Strengthening and Incre4asing Citizens Participation,” was boycotted by Liberian lawmakers and political parties. It was not immediately known why.
However, the program at NEC’s headquarters in Sinkor, Monrovia was graced by a large number of people, including civil society organizations, the diplomatic corps, among many others.
Liberia will be holding its first ever biometric voter registration exercise, which is slated to be conducted from March 20-May 11, 2023.
Performing the launching of the civic and voter education, NEC Co-Chairperson, Counselor Teplah Reeves disclosed that it is the hope of the commission that the awareness on the biometric registration of voters reaches the length and breadth in the country.
According to her, 81 civil society cells including cultural, dramatic groups and CSOs have been contracted by NEC to reach to all villages, helmets, and everybody in the 73 electoral districts with the message about the BVR exercise.
She encouraged civil society organizations, the religious institutions and women and youth groups to join the awareness aimed at making the civic and voters education a success.
A cross of personalities and people who graced the launching ceremony
Meanwhile, the UN Women Country Representative, Comfort Lamptey, who spoke on behalf of the UN Coordinator, Christine N. Umutoni, thanked NEC and partners for their continued support towards a peaceful, free, fair, and transparent electoral and democratic processes leading to a credible election on October 10, 2023.
According to her, any democracy needs civic and voter education to ensure that its citizens are aware of and engaged in the political process that will lead to a participatory election.
She encouraged women to take advantage of the smooth and the level playing field in the political arena by engaging the process and by contesting against their male counterparts.
Also speaking, NEC Deputy Executive Director for Programs, Attorney Nathan Garbie, stressed the needs for Liberians to know electoral laws in the country.
According to him, the commission alone cannot educate the electorates about the new electoral laws in the country because election is process that starts with education, awareness, registration of voters and candidates, voting and end with the announcement of results.
Earlier in the day, a brigade comprising of the NEC board of commissioners, staffs, civil society organizations, cultural and dramatic groups paraded the principal streets and end with an indoor program held at the conference room on Ninth Street in Sinkor.