NEC Reforms Ambiguous Laws

Expressing the need for reforms in some electoral laws, National Elections Commission acting chairman, Cllr. Elizabeth J. Nelson has affirmed that some of the existing electoral laws are ambiguous and need serious reform.

“The current demanding need of the electoral system of Liberia is a reform of the elections law. This has absolutely become necessary given that some of the existing laws that apply to elections are ambiguous while others were specifically enacted for the 2005 elections and such are not applicable in the present electoral system,” she stressed.

Cllr. Nelson spoke Monday at the opening of a 2-day International Conference on Electoral Law Reform Process at the Palm Springs Hotel in Congo Town.

She insisted that since the NEC organized Liberia’s second landmark post-war legislative and presidential elections in 2011 which, according to her, was free, fair and transparent, it was important for the commission to embark upon appropriate measures that will improve and enhance the overall electoral system of Liberia.

This is why NEC hosted a 3-day comprehensive lessons learnt conference that assessed the 2011 electoral processes, she said.

That conference, Mrs. Nelson said, provided a platform for stakeholders to assess all of the processes leading to the conduct of the 2011 as well as necessary recommendations for the enhancement of future elections in the country.

Among recommendations made at the conference was the need to reform the electoral laws of Liberia in order to reflect current reality which led to this 2-day International Conference.

“This is why NEC is conscious that our actions in the management of electoral systems must be consistent with our elections laws, guidelines and regulations as well as international best practices,” she noted.

UNDP International Legal Expert, Mr. Johann Kriegler also agreed with Cllr. Nelson that serious reform was needed in the electoral laws, especially Section 10:19 of the New Electoral Laws of 1986, which was ambiguous and needed to be more explicit for the common people.