The plenary of the Liberian Senate is expected to hold a major public hearing on Friday, September 16, 2022 over the introduction of biometric voter registration and voting system by the National Elections Commission (NEC).
On Tuesday, September 13, 2022 during the 12th day sitting of the Special Session of the 5th session of the 54th Legislature, the presiding officer of Senate, Pro-tempore Albert T. Chie, said the Senate cannot close on Tuesday, September 13 due to the issue regarding their full understanding of NEC’s plan to introduce the biometric voter registration system in the country’s electoral process.
Senator Chie said since many senators have not received the complete detail on how the new biometric voter registration will work in Liberia, it is prudent to have a public debate on the use of the system in order to have expert opinion on it. Pro-tempore Chie has instructed the Secretary of the Senate, Nanborlor Singbeh, to write NEC, civil society organizations, political parties and other stakeholders for a one-day public hearing on the biometric voter registration and voting system.
The decision by the Senate’s presiding officer comes as a result of mixed views from individual senators on the new system. Some senators argued that Liberia as a country is not prepared to use the biometric system now, especially with less than 13 months to general and presidential elections. According to the senators, the country does not have electricity and internet, so it will be difficult for citizens to understand the process.