By Bill W. Cooper
The Chairperson of the National Elections Commission (NEC) Davidetta Brown-Lansanah has disclosed that the Commission is yet to receive an initial amount of US$4 Million from the Ministry of Finance to begin the processes leading to the conduct of 2023 general elections.
Madam Brown-Lansanah, appearing yesterday, March 9, 2023 before members of the Liberian Senate appeared along with her deputies stressed that the Ministry of Finance had promised to provide US$4 Million from the allotted US$10 Million for phase one of the processes leading to the elections but is yet to receive the money as promised.
She narrated that the Commission earlier submitted a budget of US$91 Million but it was drastically reduced to US$51 Million following discussions between the Commission and the Ministry of Finance and Development-Planning.
She explained further that US$33 Million is the actual allotment to the National Elections Commission for elections, stressing that the Commission was asked by the Ministry of Finance to put such an amount into phases.
According to her, US$10 Million was allotted to phase one, the same amount to phase two and US$13 Million to phase three which is the final phase of the process.
Madam Lansanah said the corresponding date to release the cash of US$10 Million for phase one is March 15, 2023, while phase two’s US$10 Million be released on April 16, 2023 and May 15, 2023 as the date for the release of phase three’s US$13 Million respectively.
She noted that these decisions were arrived at by the Minister of Finance, Samuel Tweah and the Board of Commissioners of the National Elections Commission.
At the same time, Madam Davidetta Brown-Lansanah has informed the plenary of the Liberian Senate that the biometric voter’s registration process is ongoing across the country.
She noted that some materials for the nationwide exercise arrived in the country some weeks ago, coupled with the training of staff and the competition of the training of trainers for the smooth conduct of the process.
