The National Elections Commission (NEC) has indefinitely postponed the conduct of the Montserrado County Senatorial and District #15 Representative by – elections for the second time, citing “technical and operational reasons.”
The decision announced Thursday evening, 4 July comes just four days to the conduct of the two by – elections that were due to be held on July 8 after they were first rescheduled from July 2.
“The Commission says the postponement is strictly on the basis of technical and operational reasons. The NEC also emphasizes that the postponement is motivated by professional considerations,” the Commission announces.
The Senatorial and Representative by – elections are caused by the deaths of Sen. Geraldine Doe – Sheriff following prolonged illness and District #15 Rep. Adolph Lawrence in a fatal car crash along the Roberts International Airport (RIA) highway.
The Commission had indicated that it needed US$2.5m for the conduct of the elections, but it is not certain if all of the amount required by the Commission was made available by the cash strapped regime of President George Manneh Weah.
By June 18 the NEC reported that Government had provided US$1.5m out of the US$2.5m required, subsequently announcing the first postponement of the by – elections.
Four days to the conduct of the rescheduled polls, the Commission again revealed on Thursday that pre-packed kits have not arrived into the country and have made the by – elections impossible to be conducted as was scheduled.
“The National Elections Commission (NEC) informs the public that the Montserrado senatorial and district 15 Representative by-elections, which were scheduled for July 8, 2019 have been postponed to a later date, to be announced,” the Commission says.
Notwithstanding, the Commission informs the public that the full consignment of 1,046,100 ballot papers are currently in the country.
According to the NEC, the ballot papers including tactile ballot guides, forms and record of the counts arrived over the weekend at the RIA and were received by authorities of the Commission along with the Liberia National Police (LNP) and taken to a secure location under LNP maximum protection.
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Of the total ballot papers, the NEC says 993,850 will be sued for the senatorial by – elections, while 52,250 will be used for the representative by – election.
Additionally, the Commission informs the public that the training of poll workers is currently ongoing at various locations in Montserrado County.By Winston W. Parley
