Liberia: ‘NEC Has Received US$49.7M for Elections’
Senators debating yesterday, during the appearance of NEC Chairperson and Commissioners
— Chairperson Lansanah asserts, says voting will be manual, not biometric
The Chairperson of the National Elections Commission (NEC), Madam Davidetta Browne Lansanah, has informed the Liberian Senate that the Commission has so far received the amount of US$49,710, 210.00 out of US$53 million needed to conduct the 2023 General and Presidential Elections, with an outstanding amount of US$3.2 million.
The electoral body had earlier requested an amount of US$91 million but, convinced by the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Samuel Tweah, Chairperson Lansanah and her team settled for US$53 million.
Appearing with the NEC board of commissioners before the Senate Committee of the Whole on Tuesday, August 29, Madam Lansanah also informed the Senate that a recruitment portal has been published for the recruitment of temporary staff and data will be retrieved from the portal to determine the capacity of applicants to conduct the 2023 Elections.
Lansanah further noted that the Final Registration Roll (FRR) will be published and released to political parties in September, but failed to give a specific date.
She indicated that while it is true that the voters’ registration process was biometric, voting is going to be conducted on a manual basis. The NEC Chair, however, stressed that no gadget (camera) will be allowed in the voting room.
In response to a query by Grand Bassa County Senator Nyonblee Karnga- Lawrence as to why 93 Precincts have exceeded the threshold of 3,000 in keeping violation of section 4.3 of the Elections Law, Lansanah conceded to violating the law.
With regards to a query from Montserrado Senator Abraham Darius Dillon as to who is the current Head of the Legal Section, since Atty. Teage Jalloh did not meet the criteria of a Counselor to serve as head of said department, the Chairperson Lansanah stated that the Commission is working with external legal consultants to handle legal matters of the Commission.
Concluding the hearing, the President Pro Tempore of the Liberian Senate, Grand Kru County Senator Albert T. Chie, mandated the Chairperson to appoint an acting Head of the Legal Department within a period of two weeks.
It can be recalled that during the Commissioners’ appearance earlier this year, the Senate requested to appoint a Counselor at Law by May 2023.
Meanwhile, the Senate Pro Tempore, together with Sen. Karnga-Lawrence, chairperson of the Senate committee on Rules, Order and Administration, yesterday announced that the signing of the book of condolence for the late Gbarpolu County Senator, Daniel Flomo Naatehn, will be opened on Thursday, August 31; while his remains will lie in state the following day in the Rotunda of the Capitol.
Funeral and burial rites for the late Senator Naatehn are scheduled for Saturday, September 2, 2023.