With less than ten months to the holding of the legislative and presidential elections, the Country Representative of a newly launched civil society organization, Your Vote Your Right Inc. (YOVYOR), Panjue Beyan, has vowed that his organization will work with like-minds to carry out voter education throughout the country.
Beyan said his decision to take up the initiative is due to the fact that the National Elections Commission (NEC) alone cannot carry out the task due to the other activities it has to do. “YOVYOR will partner with other institutions using the local vernaculars in the country to educate the electorate,” he stated.
Speaking over the weekend when his organization was certificated by the NEC, Beyan said, though the initiative is cost-intensive, they will make it their civic duty.
Recently the Chairperson of NEC, Davidetta Browne Lansanah, said during a press conference just before Christmas that the contract for biometric voter equipment is now done and dusted, and the voter registration exercise is expected to begin on March 20.
This announcement formally put an end to a lingering string of controversies regarding the bidding process of the contract.
According to Lansanah, the voter registration exercise will unfold in two phases: the first of which will run for a period of three weeks—March 20—April 9—in six counties: Montserrado, Margibi, Grand Bassa, Bomi, Grand Cape Mount and Gbarpolu.
The second phase, she said, will begin on April 21 and end on May 11, 2023. The counties concerned here are Rivercess, Sinoe, Grand Kru, Maryland, River Gee, Grand Gedeh, Nimba, Bong and Lofa, per the publication.
According to Beyan, the electorate wants to vote, but many are not aware of it; therefore, his organization, “Your Vote Your Right, Inc.”, will do all within its power to educate them to the best of their ability.