The Liberian National Bar Association (LNBA) has held an engagement meeting with the Board of Commissioners of the National Elections Commission (NEC) to acquaint itself with the “general state of affairs” at the NEC and strengthen collaboration to address attending rule-of-law issues leading to the 2023 elections.
The LNBA, in a press release, described the engagement meeting between the two institutions as critical and a platform to discuss credible 2023 elections that will strengthen peace and democracy. The LNBA said, “Based on the mistrust surrounding past elections in Liberia, as well as the possibility of intimidation in the Liberian political environment, the LNBA has decided to undertake programs aimed at enhancing transparency, deterring fraud and increasing the chances that the 2023 elections would be conducted in conformity with Liberian laws and international standards.”
According to the release, “At the June 7, 2022 meeting held at the headquarters of the National Elections Commission (NEC), both institutions discussed and agreed to collaborate on a number of critical issues, including legal/electoral reforms, capacity building/training on rule of law issues, and electoral dispute resolution mechanisms.”
The NEC Board of Commissioners, according to the release, informed the LNBA leadership about the convening of an “election stakeholders’ conference”, which will provide the forum for political and civic actors to evaluate the election process and make recommendations for the future of Liberia’s nascent democracy.
The LNBA, for its part, raised serious concerns about early warning signs of conflict, particularly referring to recent information emanating from Lofa County that both the CDC and Unity Party are forming “militia groups” ahead of the by-elections. According to the LNBA, such action is disturbing and troubling for the peace of the country. It called on the Ministry of Justice to be proactive in curbing any potential conflict in the country. “The LNBA seriously cautions Liberians against reckless actions that could undermine rule of law and eventually subvert Liberia’s democratic gains,” the LNBA release added.
In a related development, the LNBA has pledged its fullest cooperation to the National Elections Commission (NEC) and relevant stakeholders to begin looking at the possibility to factor in “chieftaincy elections” during the 2023 general and presidential elections. The LNBA says it has observed that the failure of successive governments to conduct “chieftaincy elections” since 1985 is a brutal violation of Article 56(b) of the 1986 Constitution, which should no longer be condoned by the Liberian people.
The LNBA said it believes that “access to justice” under the informal/customary justice system will continue to be undermined once chiefs, who constitute an integral component, are not properly and legally situated to discharge their functions. “Liberia’s democracy remains incomplete without the election of chiefs, as provided for under the Constitution,” the statement said. Both the Bar and the NEC agreed to conceptualize their collaboration.
Meanwhile, the Liberia National Bar Association (LNBA) has had an audience with the President of the University of Liberia (UL), Dr. Julius Sarwolo Nelson, Jr., to strengthen the longstanding relationship between the Bar and the university. The meeting took place on Wednesday, June 8, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. on the main campus of the university. At the meeting, both the LNBA and the UL administration expressed their commitment to collaborate to enhance rule of law, which is the bedrock for peace and stability.
The LNBA’s leadership thanked the UL administration for its continued effort in improving the manpower development of the country. For his part, the UL President disclosed strides his administration has made to upgrade the University of Liberia. He informed the LNBA that the UL administration has finalized arrangements to shortly introduce “master of laws” program at the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, which will ease the burden on Liberian lawyers seeking graduate degrees outside Liberia. The UL President further noted that the university has concluded plans to relocate all undergraduate programs to its Fendall Campus shortly. This, according to the UL President, is intended to provide adequate accommodation for professional degree-granting programs on the main campus of the university.
Also, at the June 8 meeting, both the LNBA and the UL administration agreed to collaborate on issues relating to the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, enhancing the UL Human Rights Policy, as well as optimizing the performance of the Liberian Law Research Codification and Publication Center at the law school. The center, which has produced three volumes (43, 44 & 49) of the Liberian Law Report and three volumes (I, II-A & II-B) of the Liberian Code of Laws Revised, is headed by retired Supreme Court Justice, Philip A.Z. Banks, III.