‘Gov’t Did Not Violate Constitution’

By R Joyclyn Wea

The National Election Commission (NEC) on May 8, 2018 announced in a press conference at its headquarters on 9^th street Sinkor, the postponement of the impending by-elections in Montserrado and Bong counties to time indefinite thereby halting processes leading to the conduct of the by-elections.

Eugene Fahngon, MICAT deputy Minister for Press and Public Affairs

In that press conference, Jerome Korkoyah noted that the NEC would not be able to conduct the up-coming by-elections in both counties due to alleged failure of government to make available funding for the process and that it would not be able for the NEC to carry out the exercise in both counties within the 90 days’ time frame provided by the constitution of Liberia.

It is believed that the George Weah’s government made available portion of that fund to the NEC toward the resumption of the process something which many accused central Government of ‘constitution violation’.

When questioned in this regard, Deputy Information Minister for Press and Public Affairs, Eugene Fahngon said government did not violate the constitution as alleged in the public domain.

He contested that if government had violated the constitution by now they could have been in or someone could have taken government to court.

Fahngon revealed that the government had recently made available half a million to the elections coordinating body toward the conduct of the postponed by-election in Montserrado and Bong counties.

This has been barely 16 days since the postponement of the by-elections by the NEC and after 15 days the George Weah administration make portion of that money available for the process yet, central government still claimed no bridge of constitution.

Fahngon contended that it is only the court that determines whether or not government has violated the constitution and rendered a guilty verdict against them.

It can be recalled the Liberian senate, in keeping with the constitution and its regulations informed the National Elections Commission of vacancies within that body which was occasioned by the election of president George Weah and vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor.

Previously the Minister of Finance and Development Planning announced that government was broke and the two by-elections were not significant to waste state’s resources.

Samuel Tweah who have little or no knowledge on the conduct of elections, further mentioned that the 3.9 million proposed budgets from the NEC would be significantly reduced to US$1.8 million.