Liberia: Elections Commission Needs US$1.2M for Sinoe, Montserrado By-Elections
Monrovia – The National Elections Commission (NEC) says it will need US$1.2 million to conduct two by-elections jointly in Montserrado and Sinoe Counties.
Report by Henry Karmo, [email protected]
The pronouncement was made Thursday, September 6, 2018 when the NEC issued the writ for election.
The two by-elections are of the result of former Representative Saah Joseph of Montserrado District 13 election as Senator of Montserrado County in the recently held July 31, 2018 by-elections in Montserrado. Also, the Sinoe County By-election comes as a result of the Senator Joseph Nagbe’s appointment as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, replacing retired Justice Philip Banks. Banks retired after acquiring the constitutional retirement age of 70 years.
In April of 2018, controversy engulfed the process of by-election when the Minister of Finance Mr. Samuel Tweh said, the budget of US$ 3 million for the two by-elections in Bong and Montserrado Counties was overstated and that the government could not fund the budget.
The by-election is the second in a year since the election of President George Weah as President of the Republic of Liberia.
Making the announcement NEC co-chair Sarah Jegede Toe said, the candidate nomination is ongoing and ends on October 201 and the election date is set for November 20, 2018.
