The National Elections Commission (NEC) Chairperson, Davidetta Browne Lansanah, says the letdown of the Commission to pay local and international vendors, who rendered services to the Commission during the 2020 special senatorial elections, has an impact on the credibility of the Commission.
The NEC Chairperson said many of these vendors have complained over and over again to the Commission that their properties have been seized by their creditors and that they are no longer credit worthy because they have failed to pay back loans with interest.
Chairperson Browne Lansanah said the vendors have consistently threatened to stage a series of protest actions, including blocking the entrance at the headquarters of the National Elections Commission (NEC) on 9th Street, Sinkor.
The Chairperson of the National Elections Commission (NEC) spoke Monday, April 26, 2021 at the start of a five-day internal lessons learned conference for nearly 80 senior elections technicians of the Commission in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County.
Since the conduct of the 2020 special elections in December, the Commission is yet to pay local and international vendors, as it continues to anticipate the disbursement, in real cash, of the remaining US$3.5 million from the government, through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning.
The NEC lessons learned conference, Buchanan, Grand Bass County, runs for the next five days, and the elections technicians are expected to critically examine the challenges and wins made during the 2020 special senatorial elections as it relates to electoral law reform, electoral violence and insecurity in election, payment of temporary election workers, and other key challenges associated with funding.
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Electoral Support Office in Liberia is funding the NEC lessons learned conference under the theme, “Reflect, Learn and Innovate”.