By Bill W. Cooper
The National Elections Commission (NEC) is expected to appear before the House of Representatives Committee on Election and Inauguration today.
The commissioners’ appearance is aimed at providing clarity on the alleged misstep in the just ended Voters’ Roll Update process as well as the continuous waves of electoral violence in the country.
The decision to request the NEC was triggered by Representative Hanson S. Kiazolu’s communication to plenary in last Thursday’s session craving the indulgence of that august body to invite the NEC.
In Rep. Kiazolu’s key concern for which he requested his colleagues to deem it necessary to invite the leadership of the NEC is to provide a clearer explanation on the alleged fraudulent acts couple with other gross violations of the New Elections Laws as witnessed during the entire VRU process.
Rep. Kiazolu explained that since the VRU process, it has been observed that the entire VRU process has been compromised and pointed out that there is evidence of one person having allegedly acquiring two or more voter cards.
According to him, there are also reports of the registration of people who are below the legal age 18 and are being registered at the NEC centers and that also cross-border registrations went on specifically in bordering counties like Grand Cape Mount County.
He added that the allegation of massive trucking of voters by politicians in most counties ranging from Montserrado, Grand Cape Mount, Bomi and others for the purpose of registering non-residents to vote in the electoral precincts was also alarming.
“Additionally, we have also noticed several attacks on members of the 54th Legislature by paid agents as they go about in preparation for the December 8, 2020 election which has led to threats on their lives, injuries, damage of properties, among others, especially with campaign ongoing ahead of the officially declared date and coupled with these violence, the silence of the NEC is troubling,” the District # 17 Representative stressed.
Rep. Kiazolu further stated that they as leaders need to take a stand against those unacceptable acts which have the propensity to undermine the democratic tenets and the fragile peace the country now enjoys.
Following the deliberation on the matter, Nimba County District # 3 Rep. Joseph N. Somwarbi made the motion that the communication be accepted and forwarded to the House’s Elections and Inauguration Committee who summoned the NEC on today, September 29.