Liberia: NEC Announces May 10 for Lofa Senatorial By-election
— Commission “Needs US$1.9M to Conduct the Election
The National Elections Commission has submitted to the Liberian Senate a budget in the amount of US$1,934,720.80 for the conduct of by-election in Lofa County, to fill a vacancy recently announced by President Protempore of the Senate Albert Tugbe Chie.
According to a NEC press statement dated February 25, 2022 and signed by Deputy Commissioner Prince Dunbar, the Commission’s decision follows the February 16, 2022 notification by Senate Protempore Chie to the NEC of the existence of a vacancy in the Liberian Senate for a seat for Lofa County.
In the statement released Friday, NEC also submitted its timeline for the conduct of the Senatorial By-election in Lofa County “in which Election Day is set for 10 May, 2022.”
The Commission noted that it is acting upon the notification of a vacancy in the Senate pursuant to Article 37 of the 1986 Constitution of Liberia, which states that in the event of a vacancy in the Legislature, caused by death, resignation, expulsion or otherwise, the presiding officer shall within 30 days notify the National Elections Commission thereof. “The National Elections Commission shall not later than 90 days thereafter cause a by-election to be held, provided that when such vacancy occurs within 90 days prior to the holding of general elections, the filing of the vacancy shall await the holding of such general election.”
Meanwhile, also in the press statement, NEC announced the steering committee for the Lofa Senatorial By-election to coordinate the said election with Commissioner Ernestine Morgan Awar serving as head.
The latest episode in the saga of the ill-fated saga of Lofa County 2020 declared winner comes days after President George Weah ordered an executive reprieve Mr. Brownie J. Samukai’s two-year imprisonment sentence.