MONROVIA – As eligible Liberian voters go to the poll tomorrow, Tuesday, December 8, 2020 to vote issues of their desire in the National Referendum, several Liberians have endorsed the passage of major propositions captured within the referendum.
Registered voters will proceed to the poll tomorrow to vote for 15 Senators and 8 propositions to make amendment to the current Liberian Constitution.
Voters in Montserrado County Electoral District #9 and Sinoe County Electoral District #2 will in addition to the Special Senatorial Election and Referendum, vote for new Representatives in two Representative by-elections. The two Representative by-elections are triggered by the deaths of Representatives Munah Pelhum Youngblood and J. Nagbe Sloh of Montserrado District #9 and Sinoe County District #2 respectively.
The National Referendum is triggered by Article 91 of the Liberian Constitution, which is regarded as the organic la of the country.
Furthermore, Article 91 of the Constitution notes: “This Constitution may be amended whenever a proposal by either (1) two-thirds of the membership of both Houses of the Legislature or (2) a petition submitted to the Legislature, by not fewer than 10,000 citizens which receives the concurrence of two thirds of the membership of both Houses of the Legislature, is ratified by two-thirds of the registered voters, voting in a referendum conducted by the Elections Commission not sooner than one year after the action of the Legislature.”
Accordingly, speaking in an exclusive interview ahead of the issue-based election, a cross-section of Liberians from diverse political, religious and ethnic backgrounds pleaded with Liberian voters to answer a resounding “YES” to the eight different issues.
Proposition #1 seeks to Article 28 of the Constitution to provide for the inalienability of the citizenship of natural born citizens of Liberia (Dual Citizenship).
Voting this proposition would mean that any person, one of whose parent is a citizen of Liberia at the time of the person birth, shall be a citizen of Liberia without having to decide at age 18; and also to provide for dual citizenship.
This is expected to afford the Liberian voters the opportunity to decide whether any person can be a natural born citizen of Liberia when either one of his/her parents, is a Liberian citizen; and whether a Liberian can hold different citizenship.
Proposition #2 also seeks to amend Article 45 of the Liberian Constitution to provide for the reduction in the tenure of Members of the Liberian Senate.
To amend Article 45 of the Constitution would mean that the tenure of office of a senator would be reduced from nine to seven years.
Also, Proposition #3 is seeking the amendment of Article 47, for the reduction of tenure of office of the President Pro Tempore, who presides in the absence of the President of the Senate, from six to five years.
Proposition #4 is also seeking for Article 48 of the Constitution, which is the tenure of Members of the House of Representatives to be reduced from six to five years.
Furthermore, Proposition #5 wants 49 of the Constitution, which has to do with the tenure of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives to be reduced from six to five years.
The ensuing referendum is also recommending the amendment of Article 50 of the Constitution to provide for the reduction in the tenure of the President.
To amend Article 50 of the Constitution, which is Proposition #6 would mean that the tenure of office of the President would be reduced from the previous six years to five years.
Proposition #7 recommends an amendment to Article 83(a) of the Constitution to change the date for General Election so that voting will be done during the dry season in November instead of the rainy season in October.
The final proposition seeks to amend Article 83(c) of the Constitution to reduce the time frame for resolution of complaints emanating from General Election from thirty days to fifteen days.
Accordingly, Liberians who spoke to this country pointed out that voting these proposals would mean well for the forward match of the country.
“For mean, I think voting for these issues, does more good than harm to this country. This, I think, should be looked at from a more broader space, rather than from a mere political mind,” said Samuel Thomson, a resident of the Soul Clinic Community in Paynesville, outside Monrovia and student of the faith-based African Methodist Episcopal University (AMEU).
Samuel and others contended that the propositions must be voted for by Liberians of all walks of life beyond party line.
“This is not about politics, it’s a reality. Voting these proposals would mean voting for the betterment of our country,” Pinky Zayzay, a resident of Duport Road, also in Paynesville stated.
Mr. Randall Johnson, a business man in Central Monrovia, also believes that voting “YES” to the eight issues will set Liberia on different development trajectory.
“We must be real to ourselves. This is no politics, we must vote yes to these salient issues because they mean well for our country,” Randall indicated.