By Ramsey N. Singbeh, Jr, in Margibi
While some aspirants and their supporters are claiming candidacy in the midst of the National Elections Commission’s ongoing candidate nomination process, a representative aspirant from Margibi County District#3, Dr. John Sulonta Smith, is seriously warning all aspirants to stop calling themselves candidates yet.
Dr. Smith, who is Chief Executive Officer of LULA Dream, says obtaining a certificate of nomination does not make any aspirant a candidate but only confirms that you have submitted all required documents.
He made the clarification in Kakata, Margibi County recently at Lango Lappaye High School Gala Anniversary.
Dr. Smith, who has also been certificated by the NEC explains: “Under the law of the Republic of Liberia, I’m not a candidate yet. Having a certificate of nomination does not make you a candidate. It says that you are confirmed that you submitted all your documents.”
He disclosed that on 30th June 2023, he submitted all of his documents and was certificated but that does not give him a right to call himself a candidate yet.
According to him, there will be a provisional candidate listing that will be scrutinized to derive at the final candidate listing that will be officially announced by the NEC to give aspirants the right to now refer to themselves as candidates.
“None of us should call ourselves candidates; no, we still are in the process of being called candidates.”
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He said if there is a problem with anyone’s documents, he or she will know after the candidate nomination process, saying for instance, if some tendered in his or her property value or tax clearance, the NEC has to first verify those before making determination. Editing by Jonathan Browne
