Monrovia – The National Elections Commission (NEC) says consistent with the its tradition of transparency and inclusiveness, the layout of ballots for the 2017 Elections are complete and has therefore invited a representative each from political parties contesting these elections and independent candidates to go and verify the ballots.
The verification exercise will focus on the names of candidates and the emblem of the political parties and independent candidates that were submitted to the Commission at the nomination center.
The exercise, according to the NEC Chairman Jerome Korkoya, commenced Wednesday and will end on Saturday, August 26, 2017.
The Political Affairs Section will be open on the holiday to provide political parties and independent candidates the opportunity to verify the names of the candidates endorsed to the commission and the emblems of their institutions.
Speaking at the NEC weekly press conference the NEC chair also disclosed while the Commission is committed to respecting the due process right of every citizen, it is regrettable that its efforts in this regard are being hindered by the failure of the parties to appear for hearing when cited.
“The Commission has made media publications calling on both complainants and respondents to come for hearing of their cases without any success.
The NEC wants to use this medium therefore to send out a final warning to both complainants and respondents of cases pending to come forth for hearing or the Commission will be left with no other option but to dismiss these cases, even if means the Commission has to do so sua sponte.
They include; Youth United Against Electoral Violence vs Maxwell, Grisby Chester Gruanue vs Daynah A. Zoe, Othello Jarome vs Daniel Debois, Dweh Wilson vs Patrick Nyepan Kpannyen, Sampson Kloh Wilson, Kaysieh Smith, Chris Aloysius Teah, Melvin P. Keleekai vs Coalition For Liberia’s Progress Samwar S. Fallah vs J. Melvin Cole, Augustine Johnson vs Pyne Wallo, J. Omasca Doe Versus Aliou V. Bah And Daniel B. Mulbah Versus J. Melvin Cole
When the NEC published the final list of candidates, we indicated that any candidate on the final list could be removed if the final disposition of a case in which he or she is involved so warranted.
Pursuant to that pronouncement, the Board of Commissioners last week overturned the decision of the Candidate Nomination Committee to qualify Dr. Michael Slewon to contest in Electoral District #9, Nimba County.
The Commission’s decision to deny Dr. Slewon’s nomination application was based amongst others on misinformation provided in his nomination application to the effect that he was not a presidential appointee, when the evidence presented revealed the contrary.
Accordingly, his name has been ordered removed from the final list of candidates for the October 10 Elections.
Dr. Slewon serves as the head of the Liberia higher Education Commission.
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