The ECC calls on the national legislature, National Elections Commission and other stakeholders to reform the existing electoral laws, as an integral part of democratic development of Liberia. Liberia has a foundational legal framework to conduct elections but weak enforcement has stalled the implementation and enforcement of those laws.
The ECC calls on the Boakai administration to address the wider governance and development issues and concerns as well as responding to its campaign promises. The ECC proposes constructive engagement with electoral stakeholders particularly those institutions that are linked to electoral reform, such as the legislature, Ministry of Justice, and members of the executive branch.
With competing development needs and priorities, electoral reforms must be considered as a top priority to strengthen the democratic gains made by Liberia over the past year.
The ECC has already started meeting with members of the National Legislature, international, and domestic stakeholders and political parties who are supportive of electoral reforms as a critical intervention to improve the quality and the conduct of elections
In view of the above, the ECC hereby advance the following five (5) priorities for electoral reform:
Priority 1: Set a threshold for boundary delimitation
Priority 2: Amend campaign finance laws and regulations.
Priority 3: In the absence of constitutional reform, amend the New Election Law (NEL) to establish an ad hoc electoral tribunal and amend Section 6.8 of the NEL to increase access to electoral justice.
Priority 4: Amend the NEL so that the appointment of members of the Board of Commissioners of NEC are subject to a public vetting process.
Priority 5: Amend Section 3.1 (2) of the NEL to modify the requirements for eligibility. The transition to a passive voter registration system can be done through a regulation and amend Section 4.1 (2) of the NEL to increase the maximum number of registered voters from 3,000 to 4,000.
The Liberia Domestic Elections Observation Activity (LIDEO)is implemented by the Elections Coordinating Committee (ECC) with funding from USAID.
ABOUT THE ECC:
The Elections Coordinating Committee (ECC) is Liberia’s largest domestic election observation network with diverse competencies, experiences, and expertise in democracy, elections, and governance established since 2010. ECC’s members include the Center for Democratic Governance (CDG); Center for Media Studies and Peace Building (CEMESP); Center for Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding (CECPAP); Naymote Partners for Democratic Development (NAYMOTE-PADD); West Africa Network for Peace Building (WANEP), and the Women NGO Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL).
This statement is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of the ECC and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
Press contact: Malcolm Joseph, ECC Chairperson
Contact: ECC Secretariat @ 0770176180
Email: jkorkoyah@eccliberia.com
Website: eccliberiacom.org
Facebook: eccsecretariat2011 Instagram/Twitter: @eccliberia