BAWODA’s ED Shares Kolanut With Referendum Postponement Campaigners

By Lawrence T Hoff

BAWODA’ Executive Director, Martha F. Karnga has secured her seat on the Stakeholders’ flight calling for the postponement of the National Referendum amidst Senatorial Election and two By-elections across Liberia.

BAWODA is the Bassa Women Development Association, a non-governmental Entity fully involved with empowering Women and Girls, developing their self-esteem and strengthening their voices for self advocacy and decision making regarding critical issues that Impact them.

Addressing the Press on the Referendum Debate, Madam Karngar asked “Can you be holding a Marriage ceremony and Burial Activities at the same time in the same Environment”; adding Election is a serious day for everybody and with a parallel process; people would be made to have a divided attention.

The Grand Bassa former Senatorial Candidate’ pronouncement is the latest corresponding view similarly expressed by Senatorial Candidates Magdalene Harris, Vicent Willie and Dave Llewellyn Dixon as well as Grand Bassa CSOs Head Barley Togba; all of whom pointed out lack of Civic Voter Education and the low Education ability of majority of the Citizens to understand both Referendum and Senatorial Election instantaneously.

In an Exclusive media Engagement with ELBC, the BAWODA’ Boss also extended her argument to the Proposition calling for Change in Election Date from October to November each year; stating instead of focusing on “Dress- by- Dress”, improving road network through road construction in particularly rural areas should claim significant attention of State Actors and Citizens.

“My over all view is, if [Referendum] should be suspended so that Civic Education would be allotted sufficient time to ensure Citizens’ full understanding regarding the National instruments”, Madam Karnga emphasized”.

While the debate is intensifying just 21 Days away from the holding of the December 8 Processes, Chapter 13 Article 91 of the Liberian 1986 Constitution states “This Constitution may be amended whenever a Proposal by either (1) two-thirds of the membership of both Houses of the Legislature or (2) a petition submitted to the Legislature, by not fewer than ten thousand (10,000) Citizens which received the concurrence of two-thirds of the membership of the bother Houses of the Legislature, is ratified by two-thirds of the registered voters, voting in a Referendum conduct by the Elections Commission not sooner than one year after the action of the Legislature”.

Article 92 also furthered “Proposed Constitutional Amendment shall be accompanied by statements setting forth the reasons therefore and shall be published in the Official Gazette and made known to the people through the information Services of the Republic. If more than one proposed amendment is to be voted upon in a Referendum, they shall be submitted in such manner that the people may vote for or against them separately”.

During the Tuesday, November 17 interaction, the experienced Women Advocate narrated that all the Candidates participating in the 2020 Electoral processes are concerned about Liberia from diverse perspective; underscoring their decision to get involve with the National discourse as evidence of the Candidates’ willingness to lead.

Directing her plead to the Women, Madam Karnga cautioned them to remain mindful, stating “stop parking your closet with things that would embarrass your children tomorrow”.

She also encouraged them, while they are on their respective Political sides; to campaign for Candidate of their choice through critical analysis and doing away with negative propaganda, a decision when upheld, meets her admiration; though Madam Karngar’ quest for women involvement and support to their fellow females to assume Local and National leadership posts still stands tall.

It is recorded in the History of Grand Bassa that BAWODA Executive Director is the first Female who braved the storm amongst masculine gender in 2011 to have Contested the Senatorial Seat for the retaining or replacement of Hon. Nathaniel K. Innis; an Election that was won by fallen Lawmaker, John Francis Whitfield.