Liberia's Elections Commission Releases 2014 Dateline

FrontPageAfrica (Monrovia)
By Henry Karmo

The National Elections Commission has released the key Dates for the conduct of the 2014 Special Senatorial Election. The announcement was made Monday at a Press Conference held at the Commission's Headquarters in Monrovia.

"Consistent with Article 46 of the 1986 Constitution, a Special Election for senators who won in the first category during the 2005 Legislative and Presidential Elections will be conducted.

It may interest you to note that, based on our records, this election will be the first of its kind under the 1986 constitution", Chairman of the NEC, Cllr. Jerome George Korkoya declared.

According to the key Dates the Special Senatorial Election will be held on October 14, 2014 while the final results of the election will be declared on October 29, 2014.

Nomination of Candidates to contest the election will take place from July 2-24, 2014, while political campaigning will run from August 12 to October 12, 2014.

Meanwhile, Chairman Korkoya has announced that the Commission will undertake the Update of its current Voter's Roll from January 13, 2014 to March 5, 2014.

"Let it be cleared that this Voters' Roll Update Exercise is not a new voter registration. Rather, it is intended to provide access to the electoral processes for those who are eligible in the following categories: Liberians who have attained the voting age of 18 and above; Liberians who returned to the country after the 2011Voters' Registration exercises; and Liberians who have relocated and wish to be recaptured under a new voting precinct." NEC Chairman noted.

Chairman Korkoya stated that all relevant technical inputs to facilitate the Voter Roll Update Process are on-going. He explained that an estimated 200 teams of trained personnel will serve 45 days covering the 1,780 voting precincts across the country and that the Voters' Roll Update teams will spend three days each at every voting precinct.

In the lead up to the conduct of the 2005 Special Election, the NEC Chairman is calling on all political parties to comply with the stipulation in Article 83(d) of the Liberian Constitution which states that:

"Every political party shall on September 1 of each year and every candidate of such political party and every independent candidate shall not later than thirty days prior to the holding of an election in which he is a candidate, publish and submit to the Election Commission detailed statement of assets and liabilities, funds and expenditures, etc."

Chairman Korkoya also revealed that the Commission will shortly undertake the inspection of the headquarters of political parties in keeping with law.

TIMELINE

September 15, 2013 - publication of voter roll update regulations

November 1-December 3,1 2013 - Accreditation of observers, party agents, and Media for voter roll update

January 4, 2014 - Civic and voter education on voter roll update launched

January 13,-March 5, 2014 - Voter roll update

April 28,-May2, 2014 - Exhibition of provisional registration roll (voter list)

April 28-May12, 2014... ... Determination of claims and objections on exhibition

May 9, 2014... ... ... ... ... ... Issuance of writ of election

June 9-30, 2014... ... ... ... ... ... Accreditation of observer, party agents, and Media for election

June 30,2014... ... ... ... Released of final VR update figures

July 2-24, 2014... ... ... ... Candidate nomination period

July 2-august 9, 2014... ... Objections and appeals on nomination held and determined

July 4,2014 ... ... ... ... ... ... Civic and voter education on election launched

July 7-12, 2014... ... ... ... Period for replacement of lost and damage VR Cards

July 27,2014... ... ... ... ... Preliminary list of candidates published

August 12, 2014 ... ... ... ... Final list of candidates published

August 12-October 12,2014 ... ... ... ... Political campaign period

August 15-September 30, 2014 ... ... ... ... Candidate debate period

Note: calendar subject to adjustments depending on prevailing circumstances

October 14, 2014 ... ... ... Election Day

October 29, 2014... ... ... ... ... ... Announcement of final results of election