Monrovia -The Elections Coordinating Committee (ECC) has called on the Legislature and the National Election Commission (NEC) not to use the 2010 resolution that led to the setting up of the threshold for 2011 presidential and general election for the conduct of the upcoming 2017 election.
“The ECC wishes to point out that in 2010, constituencies were not apportioned based on the 2008 census report, rather the legislature through a joint resolution in 2010, instructed NEC to set a special threshold, thus adding nine additional seats to the existing 64 seats from the 2005 elections,” ECC Head Oscar Bloh said.
Bloh said that the 2010 joint resolution contravened Article 80 (d) and (e) of the Constitution.
According to him, the threshold has since expired after the 2011 election.
“This same formula cannot be used for the 2017 election.
“In view of the above, the ECC calls on the legislature to convene a special session to set a new threshold based on the 2008 census report before the start of the voter registration process,” Bloh added.
ECC head also called on the NEC to name all political parties political parties who fail to comply in terms of financial disclosure.
“That NEC should compel all political parties who have not published their financial statements to do so in compliance with article 83(d) of the Constitution,” he said.
Bloh said, the ECC has observed with concern noncompliance in certain provisions of the Liberian Constitution by some political parties and independent candidates.
According to him, Article 83 (d) called on political parties to publish to publish and submit to the NEC detailed statements of assets and liabilities by September 1 of each year.
Bloh recommended that NEC should ensure that representation is not based on registered voters, rather on population as determined by a census report.
Bloh urged that all political parties to submit their financial statement to the election commission.
“While it may be true that some political parties have submitted financial statements to NEC, the constitutional provision cited above dictates that the report filed with NEC must be published to satisfy both conditions of publishing and submitting. The ECC also wants to commend parties that have made their financial report public,” Bloh said.
The ECC is a non-partisan professional network of civil society organizations that monitors, documents, and report on election issues to promote transparency and accountability in Liberia and strengthen the democratic process.
The ECC works in partnership with the National Democratic Institute (NDI) with support from USAID.