Monrovia – A total of one hundred eighteen (118) constants will vie for 15 seats in the pending December 8, 2020 Senatorial Midterm elections on December 8, 2020.
Out of that number, 18 women will contest in 12 of the 15 counties.
Prominent amongst the 18 women are Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), and political leader of the opposition Liberty Party (LP). Senator Karnga-Lawrence is currently the only female in the Senate and is contesting for re-election.
She is faced with an uphill task to defeat the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) candidate, former Foreign Minister Gbezhongah Milton Findley, who is also a former Pro-Tempore of the Senate.
Senator Karnga Lawrence will be joined by other Women on the CPP ticket on the ballot, according to the final listing of candidates released by the National Elections Commission Thursday.
Madam Edith Gongloe-Weh, like Senator Karnga-Lawrence is contesting on the ticket of the CPP in Nimba County. She is a former Superintendent of Nimba County under the administration of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
In 2014, Gongloe-Weh contested against Senator Prince Johnson, finishing second in a process that saw the former National Patriotic Front of Liberia(NPFL) warlord-turned Senator, clinch re-election.
Also contesting is Roslind Segbe Tonne Sneh, who served as Superintendent in Grand Kru County during the administration of the former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. She too has contested elections in the past is now running on the ticket of the ruling CPP.
In Montserrado County, Madam Jamima Wolokolie of the Movement for one Liberia (MOL), Siah Tandanpolie contesting on the ticket of the Movement for Progressive Change (MPC) and Cecelia Siaway Teah of the National Democratic Coalition (NDC) are contesting against incumbent Senator Darius Dillon of the CPP and Thomas Fallah of the ruling CDC.
In 2017, a survey showed that Women constitute half of the more than two million people who registered to vote, according to Liberia’s National Elections Commission (NEC).
During that period UN Women worked with Liberian civil society organizations, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the NEC and the media to boost women’s political participation.
Although Liberia had a woman President for twelve years and women account for more than half of the country’s population, they remain largely underrepresented in decision-making and governance processes. For example, women comprise around 12 percent of members of parliament.
