Some voters in Duala and Caldwell have expressed anger and blasted National Elections Commission (NEC) staff over difficulties faced in identifying voters’ names and their assigned voting rooms. Liberians voted in a peaceful senatorial election and referendum on Tuesday, 8 December across the country.
At some places on Election Day, polls opened at about 7am to 8am, with virtually huge turnouts, and it took electorate close to an hour to identify their names, and room number to cast their ballots.In the polls Tuesday, Liberians voted to elect 15 new senators, two representatives in Montserrado and Sinoe counties.
They also voted in a referendum that has eight propositions including dual citizenship; reduction of the tenures of the presidency and representatives from six to five years, each; and senators from nine to seven years.
The other prepositions in the referendum include reduction of the tenure of Speaker, deputy speaker and protemp, reduction in the hearing of an election complaint from 30- to 15 days, and changing the voting days from October to November of every election year.
Speaking to this paper at the Assembly of God high school in Caldwell, an elderly man identified as John Cooper says this election is important because of the kind of Liberia that people want to see.
He says often times Liberians make mistakes by electing people who are not in the interest of the ordinary people, but rather themselves.
He encourages citizens to make good and sound decision that will bring growth and development to the country and not the candidate themselves.
By Lewis S. Teh–Edited by Winston W. Parley
