Monrovia – Robert Johnson, 40, stands disappointed at the Monrovia Demonstration School, he cannot vote in the October 10 elections.
Report by Bettie K. Johnson Mbayo, [email protected]
His voter’s card will not be replaced by electoral supervisor of the National Elections Commission because the cards are finished at the center.
He was asked to go to Brewerville, over an hour drive from where he sat.
Johnson, a Boakai supporter is disappointed why the replacement card will finish as the replacement center is the only center in District 8.
“We were in group at Rally Town market, even now if you go there some people are currently sitting there awaiting NEC’s officer, something only told me to come and check here that’s why I’m here.”
“And when I came they told me to go Brewerville because the replacement cards were finish, right now I am frustrated, and I don’t know what next to do because I brought my wife to the market to buy tomorrow food.”
Johnson said the information disseminated by NEC was poorly done as many registrants have not done their replacement of the misplaced or destroyed voter’s card.
James Yanquoi, is another registrant who abandoned his job to replace his card after it got missing at the airport.
He is a resident of District 8, specifically 12 Street, but had to go Clay Street to get his card replaced.
Like Johnson, Yanquoi was also asked to go Brewerville to replace his card something he said he wouldn’t do.
“I have been busy so I had to run here, I didn’t know where to replace my voter card, but I went to the place I did registration and I was told Lutheran there was no one there so I had to go Jokpen Town market there was also no one there so I went to the NEC and I was told to come here Demonstration school.”
Yanquoi said “I came here but now they are saying no replacement card, so I should go Brewerville, so clearly I wouldn’t vote, the people who have the voting card will vote for us because I am not going anywhere.
The Electoral supervisor Nehemiah Mathies, confirmed that the replacement cards were finished so registrants were asked to Brewerville, the main center for lower Montserrado.
He said the absence of the cards was the only challenge his center faced, as he disclosed that registrants are mostly youths between the ages of 20-35.
Mathies: “The registrants have been responding, most of them have the problem of lost voter card, my area have been calm and mostly we have worked with people between the age of 20-35.”
“We have had the challenge of the replacement card, since we don’t have any so we send them Brewerville to get the card because they have all of the data, so far we have denied at least two in your presence we can’t accept them because the group here will be process till closure and no replacement cards.”
At Matilda Newport High School in District 7 there were continuous scuffles between Police and registrants as registrants were in haste to leave the center.
It was the only center for District 8 and has only one station, as many registrants stand in long queues to replace their cards.
Mark Donyen, is the Center Supervisor. he complained of threats from registrants as he said his team don’t go for lunch but sit all through the time to work.
”The process was fine at the initial stage, now you find more people coming in the last day, most people complained of misplaced voter’s card, and we have less cases of destroyed voter card.”
Donyen said though they are finding the names but it is a challenge as many who were in the queue did not register during voters registration.
“If we check in the book and their name is not there, we politely send them to NEC for rectification.”
“We have more youths coming to replace as compare to older people.
“We have youths between the ages of 21-24 who are coming, and the process is tense because the children are misbehaving.”
“At least we replaced 40- 50 persons a day, and we have more misplaced people coming as compare to damage cards, look at the line they keep coming in group, and this is the only center here.”
He said despite the behaviour of the registrants, he and his team are committed to doing the ‘right thing’.
Omaru Johnson is a first time voter but had to abandon running his keke because his voter’s card got damaged by the rain.
“I been coming here since Monday anytime I come they say they can’t see my name.”
“They asked me to go to NEC to find my name and NEC said I should come back here.”
He doesn’t know whether he will vote in the upcoming election in the absence of his name and image from the voter’s roll.
“I feel happy to vote this year because I know it is my right as Liberian, the process here is very slow, how will the whole district will have one station, this is blunder on the part of NEC,” Johnson said.
He pleaded for the extension of time from NEC on grounds that it would enable more voters to replace their lost or damaged cards.
Vivian Dukuly, makes her 3rd appearance at the center hoping that she will replace her damaged card.
She’s a petty trader and got her card damaged during a heavy downpour of rain on a selling day.
“I came to replace my voter ID card and to be frank, the process is bad, the children are disturbing and there is only one center in the district.”
“Replacing my damaged card is very important because that is my right and when I’m going somewhere I will smoothly pass, I haven’t seen anyone with good platform but I will decide when the time comes.”
“I expect to see good in the next President like education. The education should improve like there should be a loan or help for students wherein more youths can attend school and the country will get better and be on par with neighboring countries.”