VP Taylor foresees constitutional crisis

By Lincoln G. Peters

Liberian Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor says she foresees a serious constitutional crisis in the upcoming October Presidential and legislative elections.

Over the weekend, she warned that this could occur if the National Elections Commission (NEC) doesn’t change and replace all election magistrates across the country.

She made the claim at the Eight Edition of the Archbishop Michael K. Francis intellectual discourse in Monrovia.

VP Howard-Taylor accused all election magistrates across the country of being allegedly corrupt and demanded that they be replaced immediately.

“I can tell y’all for free that most of the electoral magistrates are corrupt, they need to be rotated, they need to be replaced, and they need to be changed into where ever they need to go,” said VP Howard-Taylor.

She claimed that changing all elections magistrates will provide an environment where people will feel that they are free to participate.

“We have 2023 election coming up in a few months and this is the few time that we have a presidential election where half of the Senate and House of Representatives will be going to elections,” said Madam Howard-Taylor. 

She said any process that takes longer than necessary … with so many issues will be taken to the Supreme Court and there will be a constitutional crisis. 

“So, I want to say in advance, internal dispute resolution processes are not free and fair. However, I want to say to you for free that most of the election magistrates are corrupt and should be replaced and changed,’’ she concluded.

On Tuesday, 9 August 2022, President George Manneh Weah requested lawmakers to return from their break to discuss critical national issues for the period of 30 days which began on 15 August 2022 and would have ended Tuesday, 13 September 2022.

Among others, the issues included a request for legislators to pass an amendment of the New Elections Law which called for the immediate dismissal and retirement of all election magistrates across the country.

But several Liberians strongly expressed disappointment and opposition against the bill.

They believe that the bill was anti-democracy, unconstitutional and intended to cause chaos.

They also noted that it was purely aimed at enabling President Weah to rig the pending elections and continue inflicting wounds on ordinary citizens.

Expressing his discontent, Mr. Kabineh Fofana noted that the current 54th Legislature, headed by members of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change wants President Weah to get re-elected at all costs in 2023.

He said the Legislature and the President want magistrates that they will control to ensure that Weah wins the 2023 elections si that they can maintain their jobs.

“The bill is not necessary, and it is not right because some of these people were trained with taxpayers’ money and they have grown over the past years to manage elections,” said Mr. Varlee Kromah. “And it’s time for them to implement what they have learned. You want to change them and bring those you can control and influence. It’s unacceptable,” he added.–Edited by Winston