CDC goes for primaries

The Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), which has suffered series of defections in recent times, has scheduled its primaries for May 27 to June 17, across the country to elect aspirants for legislative seats ahead of the October elections.

Addressing a news conference on Wednesday, 24 May at the party’s headquarters in Monrovia, national secretary general and chair of the primaries steering committee, JangaKowo, said the exercise will be characterized by a zonal process in the counties as projected by the national executive committee of the CDC.

Kowo says the party, currently member of a three-party Coalition for Democratic Change endeavors to fulfill its obligation of holding free, fair and democratic primaries within the framework of its constitution, the Coalition for Democratic Change agreement, and the election laws of Liberia.

“We are pleased to announce the Primaries Steering Committee and the Guidelines. These Committees and processes are internal to the Congress for Democratic Change in line with Article 7(g) of the Coalition Agreement, which states that parties to the coalition which have seats in the legislature shall reserve the right of nomination to the seat. In constituencies where coalition members don’t have seats, the candidates that provide the best option for victory shall be considered as the coalition nominees,” he explains.

He urges all legislative aspirants in the party for the upcoming primaries to take note of the criteria, which shall remain enforced as authorized eligibility guidelines.

Kowo says no one will partake in the primaries unless such person is a proven member of the Congress for Democratic Change, in good financial standing with the party, and has already fulfilled all eligibility requirements set forth in the Constitution of Liberia, and the Electoral Reform Laws of 2004.

By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor-Editing by Jonathan Browne