Liberia: NEC Certificates Biney, Bartekwa and Foko

MONROVIA — The National Elections Commission (NEC) has issued certificates to senators-elect James Biney and Numene T.H. Bartekwa of Maryland and Grand Kru Counties, respectively.

Biney contested on the ticket of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), while Bartekwa contested as Independent candidate. 

Also presented with his certificate was representative-elect Frank Saah Foko of the ruling CDC. Foko, a former staff to deceased CDC lawmaker Munah Pelham, won the by-election in electoral district nine in Monsterrado County.

The chairperson of NEC, Davidetta Browne Lansanah, said there are a lot of election dispute cases before the body and once those cases are adjudicated the winners will be certificated without any delay. 

Senator-elect Biney, speaking on behalf of his colleague Bartekwa, stressed the need for NEC to be capacitated financially  to enable the commission  control its own budget. He also called for for electoral law reforms. 

For his part, representative-elect Foko called for reconciliation and unity in district nine beginning with all his opponents who did not win, including his closest opponent, Fobies Henries of the Alternative National Congress.

The Three lawmakers praised NEC for conducting a free and fair December 8, 2020 Special Senatorial Elections.

The NEC, however, didn’t say when it will certificate Botoe Kanneh of Gbapolu County and Brownie Samukai Lofa County.  Last week, Former Defense Minister Brownie Samukai faced another hurdle in taking his seat as Lofa County’s senator last week when the Supreme Court of Liberia temporarily halted his certification by the National Election Commission (NEC).

The nation’s highest court’s decision against Samukai, of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), was trigged by a Writ of Prohibition filed March 2, 2021, by O’Neil Passewe, chair of the Movement for Progressive Change.