By Alex Yomah
The Liberian Senate’s Committee on Autonomous Agencies and Commission, yesterday postponed the confirmation hearing of the Chairperson of the National Elections Commission (NEC) designate, Cllr. A. Ndubusie Nwabudike to Wednesday April 1, 2020.
The decision by the Committee was intended to solicit the views of the opposition political leaders which the Committee said are constituents to the Elections Commission.
The joint political parties meeting swas held in the joint chambers of the Legislature with scores of opposition political party leaders which include; former Unity Party (UP), Liberty Party (LP), The Alternative National Congress (ANC), Grand Old True Whig Party and others.
In separate speeches, opposition political parties unanimously reaffirmed their stance against the confirmation of the National Elections Commission nominees currently before the Senate’s Committee on Autonomous Agencies and Commission for confirmation.
Recently, twelve oppositions signed a resolution forwarded to the committee to reject the NEC’s nominees-stating different reasons; key among which is the nationality of the Chairperson designate.
Counteracting the oppositions, the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) Chairperson, Mulbah Morlu, took issue with the committee for seeking oppositions’ views before performing its constitutional duty-while describing such action as a dangerous proceeding.
Mr. Morlu re-emphasized that it is a dangerous precedence and wrong route for the committee to solicit the views from opposition political leaders before performing its constitutional duties as a committee.
Morlu asserted that the ruling CDC has no record of rigging elections, unless the former Unity Party.
He stated further that since the CDC-led government took the helm of power, every bi-elections conducted by the NEC has been free, fair and transparent- even to the extent, Montserrado bi-election, the NEC nullified the CDC’s candidate’s victory and called for re-run without qualm being raised- by the ruling party.
According to him, CDC does not need a special commissioner to win elections in Liberia. He mentioned further that what the party is interested in, is a process that will be free and democratic that would enable every citizen’s vote be reflected in the any given elections.
He called on the Committee to lead and not to be misled by a group of oppositions that do not have any facts on allegations made against the presidential nominees.
“Everything mentioned by the opposition’s allegations against the presidential nominees are unfounded and intended to sentimentalize the process,” Morlu asserted.
“With these allegations, the oppositions have not proven one, they should provide facts. The court is not far from here. Some of them are lawyers, they could go to the court to issue prohibition and provide their facts. No facts to all the allegations,” he concluded.
For his part, former Nimba County Senator, Worlea Saywah Dunah representing the United Party in the meeting indulged the committee to reject the Chairperson designate, Cllr. Nwabudike, Flody Sayor and Josephine Kou-Gaye nominations-stating that they are not qualified.
The Unity Party Executive member detailed Liberia’s past history that led Liberia into war as a result of either lack of qualifications or being compromised and a prescribed qualification of those that should be nominated to serve on that Board of the Elections Commission.
Mr. Dunah said the election law among other things, requests that a nominee to occupy the Commission must be a person with credibility, competence and with authentic credentials. The three nominees are yet far from satisfying the tenets of democracy to occupy such integrity position to preside over Liberia’s future elections.
The former lawmaker informed the committee that the NEC Boss has credibility problem and stated that he committed perjury which the Unity Party official said, is a crime, and on that basis, he should be denied.
He said the Nigerian born naturalized Liberian told this committee that he nominated himself and then somersaulted saying, he took someone to naturalize him; which is a misrepresentation of the facts.
Worlea Saywah Dunah implored the committee not to confirm him because information provided about his nationality is incorrect.
“In explanation, the Nigerian said, he was born 1965 and he naturalized in 1982 from his own mouth which means, he was 17 years. The Nationalization law says, anyone obtaining the application for nationalization must be 21 years- that shows that Cllr. Nwabudike lied on oath,” Mr. Dunah said.
The Alternative National Congress of Alexander B. Cummings beseeched the committee to disallow the five nominees with the exception of Barsee Kpangbai.
The party said, Josephine Kou-Gaye should not be confirmed because she admitted that she knows nothing about election and as such, she must be precluded-while stating that NEC Co-Chair Dividetta Browne-Lannasah was reportedly involved into the reported cheating at the commission that led the Liberty Party to drag NEC to court.
Liberty Party represented by Abraham Darious Dillon said the entire nominees must be disqualified citing the same dismal performance of the nominees.
Dillon said both NEC boss designate and LACC boss and others should not be confirmed because of constitutional and nationality issues coupled with incompetency.
Meanwhile Grand Old True Whig Party’s representative Reginald Goodrige descended on the Nigerian national saying that the Nigerian law does not neglect any of its citizens. Besides, he read a facebook post in which he said the NEC Boss was accused of criminality but his allegation was challenged by the ruling party to provide facts.
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