The former Vice President, Joseph Boakai, has disclosed that he has no confidence in the current Chairperson and the Board of Commissioners at the National Elections Commission (NEC) to conduct any free, fair and transparent elections.
Amb. Boakai who is also the Standard Bearer of the former ruling Unity Party (UP) stressed that those now serving as Commissioners and Chairperson of the NEC are incompetent and unpatriotic to conduct major elections across the country.
He made the assertion yesterday, during a major press conference at his Rehab Residence in Paynesville, following the Ruling of the Supreme Court in the Unity Party vs. CPP case, which now qualified the UP to participate in the Lofa County by-election.
“My fellow Liberians and partisans; let me register to say that I have no confidence in the National Elections Commission as it is now, because there are a lot of political leanings. There are a lot of incompetent and unpatriotic people and we don’t believe that they belong there,” VP Boakai emphasized.
According to him, the current NEC team headed by its Chairperson, Davidetta Browne-Lasanah is now running the Commission outside of its mandate which he said calls for the ‘NEC not to work for any political party or government, instead, in the interest of the country and its people.’
He stressed, “So, in this light, let me state for the record that it is incumbent upon the Commissioners of the NEC to do the right thing because the UP will be prepared to challenge any wrong decision made against “the opposition and, by extension, the interests of the voters.”
Amb. Boakai stated further that perseverance of Liberia’s fragile peace depends on the unfettered practice of legitimate politics, which include free, fair and transparent elections, and as such, it would be prudent for the NEC Chairperson and Commissioners to desist from politicizing the Commission.
He added, “In closing, let me once again remind the NEC about updating the Voter’s Roll and the urgent need to use the Biometric Voting System in 2023 elections, which were recommended by International Election Observers including the ECOWAS in 2007.”
“We hope that the NEC will do the honest thing to ensure that the 2023 General Elections are free, fair and transparent because the Unity Party and its affiliate political parties and the Liberian people will accept NOTHING LESS,” he averred.
Commenting on the recent ruling from the Supreme Court, VP Boakai commended the Chief Justice and Justices of the Supreme Court for what he termed as “precedent-setting decision” that has now signaled to the NEC “to do the right thing at all times.”
