ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2023, key electoral dates for the 2023 general elections were finalized by the National Elections Commission (NEC) in a meeting of senior executive members of the political parties and election partners under the Inter-Party Consultative Committee (IPCC) at the headquarters of the commission, 9th Street, Sinkor.The NEC subsequently officially launched its revised Key Electoral Dates for the 2023 general elections in Liberia, maintaining the Constitutional date of October 10, 2023 as election day.
ACCORDING TO THE NEC 2023 general elections key electoral dates, the first phase of the biometric voter registration will start on March 20, 2023, and ends on April 9, 2023; phase two of the BVR exercise will commence on April 21, 2023 and will end on May 11, 2023; the NEC will issue Writ of Elections on May 9, 2023 and exhibition of the provisional registration roll will be exhibited from June 12, 2023 to June 17, 2023; the candidate nomination period for the 2023 general elections will run from June 14, 2023 to July 14, 2023, and the last day for the issuance of Writ of Elections will be held on July 9, 2023; presidential and legislative campaigning period will begin on August 5, 2023 and will end on October 8, 2023, two days to election day, October 10, 2023; and the commission underscored that the last day for the announcement of the final results of the 2023 general elections will be on October 25, 2023.
WITH EVERYTHING SEEMINGLY on course for the smooth, credible, peaceful and stable transfer of power, the Standard Bearer of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), Alexander Cummings, is questioning the credibility of the National Elections Commission (NEC) in ensuring free, fair and transparent general elections on October 10, 2023.
CUMMINGS SAID CONSIDERING the capacity of the NEC, unavailability of adequate finances and its timetable leading to general and presidential elections, he is concerned about potential risks to the country’s democracy.
THE CPP STANDARD Bearer said added to the risk is the nearly failed and unpredicted national census, conducted by the Liberian government, to establish the national population of Liberia. He said it is indeed of serious concern for the outcome of the 2023 elections results.
CUMMINGS SAID A special team of professional Liberians and experts have embarked on a major study of the processes leading to the general and presidential elections, and based on their findings and recommendations the CPP would issue a major policy statement regarding the conduct and outcome of the 2023 elections.
HE SAID THE PREVAILING circumstances and conditions at the NEC reflect gross incompetence and ineptitude of the government of President George Weah.
CUMMINGS CONTINUED THAT what is obtaining at the NEC regarding the conduct of 2023 general and presidential elections should claim the attention of all Liberians, including opposition politicians, that they may rally together, and not compete in dire efforts, to protect the country’s hard-won democracy.
