Comm. Jonathan Weedor chairs Lofa by-election
National Elections Commission Chairman, Jerome Korkoya, has appointed Commissioner Jonathan Weedor as Chairman of the Steering Committee that would plan and implement the successful conduct of Representative By-Election in Electoral District #2, Lofa County.
The appointment followed notification of the National Elections Commission (NEC) by House Speaker Alex Tyler, of a vacancy in the House of Representatives. According to a press release, the Notification is contained in a letter to the Chairman of the Commission, Cllr. Jerome G. Korkoya, which states that the vacancy comes as a result of the death of Lofa County Electoral District #2 Representative, Fofi Sahr Baimba.
The Notification constitutes the legal authority of the National Elections Commission to conduct a Representative By-Election in Electoral District # 2, Lofa County. The Letter of Notification is a requirement of Article 37 of the Liberian constitution which, in relevant part, states: “In the event of a vacancy in the Legislature created by death, resignation, expulsion or otherwise, the Presiding Officer shall within 30 days notify the elections Commission thereof. The Elections Commission shall not later than 90 days thereafter cause a By-election to be held…..”
On September 13, 2015, Lofa County Representative Fofi Sahr Baimba died. Family and health sources said Representative Baimba died of hypotension (high blood pressure) following a brief illness. The former lawmaker directly represented the people of Vaihun and Foya Districts. His death has created a vacuum in the House that needs to be occupied thru a by-election.-Edited by Jonathan Browne
