Africa-Press – Liberia. The ECC has suggested that electoral reforms must be considered a top priority to strengthen Liberia’s democratic gains over the past year.
The Elections Coordinating Committee (ECC) has called on the Government of Liberia and relevant stakeholders to strengthen the legal framework of elections and fulfill campaign promises made to the Liberian people.
ECC Chairperson Malcolm Joseph spoke at a press conference over the weekend, urging the Legislature, National Elections Commission (NEC), and other stakeholders to reform the existing electoral laws.
Mr. Joseph stated that the reform is integral to Liberia’s democratic development.
According to Joseph, Liberia has a foundational legal framework for conducting elections, but weak enforcement has stalled the implementation and enforcement of those laws.
He urged President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s administration to address the wider governance and development issues and concerns and respond to its campaign promises.
Further, the ECC chairperson proposed constructive engagement with electoral stakeholders, particularly institutions linked to electoral reform.
He named them the Legislature, the Ministry of Justice, and members of the Executive branch of the government.
With competing development needs and priorities in the country, Joseph suggested that electoral reforms must be considered a top priority to strengthen Liberia’s democratic gains over the past year.
According to Mr. Joseph, the ECC has already started meeting with members of the Legislature, international and domestic stakeholders, and political parties that support electoral reforms.
He described this as a critical intervention to improve elections’ quality and conduct.
The ECC has proposed that the government set a threshold for boundary delimitation and amend campaign finance laws and regulations.
In the absence of constitutional reform, the ECC has proposed that the government 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.
It also proposed that the government amend the NEL so that the appointment of members of the NEC Board of Commissioners is subject to a public vetting process.
Further, it proposed that the government amend Section 3.1 (2) of the NEL to modify the eligibility requirements.
It suggested that the transition to a passive voter registration system can be made through regulation and amendment of Section 4.1 (2) of the NEL to increase the maximum number of registered voters from 3,000 to 4,000.
Meanwhile, Mr. Joseph has explained that the ECC implements the Liberia Domestic Elections Observation Activity with funding from USAID.
He stated that the ECC is Liberia’s largest domestic election observation network, established in 2010, with diverse competencies, experiences, and expertise in democracy, elections, and governance.
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