Monrovia – Ahead of the much-anticipated mid-term senatorial elections in Liberia, Bomi County Senatorial aspirant Dr. Zobong Bomi Norman has alarmed over the alleged trucking of those he called “commercial voters” into the county.
Dr. Norman, who is the former President of the Bomi County Community College (BCCC), is a member of the Movement for Economic Empowerment (MOVEE).
The much-publicized senatorial election is expected to take place on December 8, 2020, according to the National Elections Commission (NEC).
Addressing a news conference in Paynesville, outside Monrovia, Dr. Norman claimed that the alleged trucking of voters in Bomi County by politicians who have ill-gotten wealth undermines the fundamental purpose of free and fair elections and frustrates Liberia’s democratic growth.
He maintained that the move also robs the electorates of their constitutional right and duty to choose their leaders in keeping with Article 1 of the 1986 Liberian constitution.
The constitution is regarded as the organic law of the land.
Article 1 of the 1986 Liberian constitution states that: “All power is inherent in the people. All free governments are instituted by their authority and for their benefit and they have the right to alter and reform the same when their safety and happiness so require. In order to ensure democratic government which responds to the wishes of the governed, the people shall have the right at such period and in such manner as provided for under this Constitution, to cause their public servants to leave office and to fill vacancies by regular elections and appointments”.
Dr. Norman indicated that the imposition of a leadership on a constituency by trucked voters most often makes that leadership “unresponsive and unaccountable to the people”.
“Voter trucking is a scheme designed by politicians to buy the votes of usually poor electorates and truck them to register and vote in electoral districts where these voters have no right to do so. Voter trucking is illegal and getting bigger and bigger every electoral season. Voter trucking is attractive to politicians who have less confidence in themselves and have acquired a lot of ill-gotten public money”.
“It’s fashionable today to hear elected politicians say “I bought my votes.” This state of affairs does not encourage good governance. This state of affairs seems to me–sooner or later–to be a recipe for social frustration and turmoil”.
He added that the trucking of voters also waste “scarce local and donor funding, as the purpose of elections funding is ultimately to ensure credible elections and results”.
He wondered while millions of dollars are spent to hold elections if the votes of the real electorates cannot determine the winner.
Dr. Norman claimed that the current situation of trucking voters is increasingly eating the foundation of the country’s struggling democracy.
“If our elections will be free and fair and our democracy will grow healthily, then we must effectively tackle the problem of voter trucking”.
He added that voter trucking has become a “big threat” to the legitimate electoral will of citizens of Bomi County.
Age-old problem
According to him, thousands of commercial voters were allegedly trucked into Bomi from Montserrado, Grand Cape Mount and Margibi counties during the 2017 general and presidential elections.
He pointed out that as the midterm senatorial election approaches, “persistent media and eye witness reports suggest that deep-pocket politicians in Bomi County are actively buying voters in Montserrado, Margibi and Cape Mount Counties to improve their winning chances”.
He added that as one of the most under-developed counties in Liberia, voters’ trucking will only cause greater underdevelopment and backwardness of the region.
Plea
Dr. Norman, however, called on the National Elections Commission (NEC), political parties, coalitions or alliances, donors, civil society organizations and the media to pay serious attention to the problem of voter trucking.
He claimed that the situation is hindering Liberia’s electoral system from growing or improving.
“Democracy has the potential to accelerate the development of our country, but voter trucking will prevent us from achieving this potential”.
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