Monrovia – Representative Edwin Melvin Snowe’s struggle to switch representation from Montserrado County where he has represented members of District-6 to Bomi County District-1 in the upcoming elections has finally reached the nation’s highest court.
Report by Bettie Johnson-Mbayo, [email protected]
Rep. Snowe has represented Montserrado County District-6 over the last 11 years during both the 52nd and 53rd Legislatures.
However, for the 54th Legislature, Snowe has made a move to rather represent the interest of the people of Senji in Bomi where he has some significant amount of investment.
His move is the first of its kind in Liberia’s modern democratic history, where a sitting lawmaker of a county decides to contest for a seat in another county while he still represents a district in his old county.
But this is not coming easy for Rep. Snowe.
Two Lawmakers from Bomi County are fighting his quest from two sides.
Senator Sando Johnson and Representative Samuel Karmo have both vowed to ensure that Rep. Snowe is legally disqualified from participating in the elections, if he has to contest in Bomi County.
Their fears remain unknown but both argue that Rep. Snowe does not meet the domicile requirement as the National Elections Commission Regulations and Guidelines to contest for a seat in Bomi.
Section 5.7 which talks about domicile for a legislative seat:
- In addition to meeting other requirements, a person aspiring for a seat in the National Legislature must meet the following:
- For a seat in the House of Representatives, the person must have been domiciled in the constituency for which he or she will be a candidate for at least one year prior to the Election Day, and must be a regular taxpayer;
- For a seat in the Senate, the person must have been domiciled in the county for which he or she will be a candidate for at least one year prior to the Election Day, and must be a regular taxpayer
Rep. Snowe survived the hearing at the magistrate level and again got victory at the level of the NEC, then managed to be cleared by the Board of Commissioners who subsequently certificated him to contest.
However, his fate remains hanging as his adversaries remain resolute on challenging the legality on which the NEC cleared him, taking the issue to the Supreme Court of Liberia.
At the level of the Supreme Court, it is likely that the decision of the NEC can be overturned, which means, Rep. Snowe will forfeit the opportunity of contesting the October elections.
Rep. Snowe wife, Associate Sie-A-Nyene Gyapay Yuoh, who is one of five Justices on the Bench has recused herself from the case.
During arguments on Wednesday, August 23, 2017, Senator Johnson’s lawyer, Cllr. David Gibson, vehemently requested the Court to revoke the certificate given Snowe by the NEC Board of Commissioners.
But the embattled lawmaker’s lawyer, former Attorney General, Cllr. Benedict Sannoh, thinks otherwise. He maintained that there is no law restricting citizens of Liberia from voting where they want to vote.
“There is no law on the book that stop a lawmaker from contesting one district to another, so we pray the court to confirm and affirm the ruling of the board of commissioners,” Sannor averred.
The Supreme Court has reserved ruling in the case. It is not clear when they will render judgment in the matter.