West Africa: ECOWAS Calls for Peaceful By-Election in Lofa County

Monrovia — As Chairman of the ECOWAS Prestigious Committee of Peace, Security, and African Peer Review Mechanism, Senator Edwin Melvin Snowe has encouraged all candidates and the people of Lofa to remain peaceful during the campaign period till the slated date for the election.

He further extended his congratulations and best wishes to all the candidates participating in the pending Lofa County Senatorial By-election. "I urge you to demonstrate a high level of civility for the love of County with the single believe that Lofa is above every single politician in this race."

The Plenary of the Liberian Senate on June 8, 2022 set Tuesday, June 28, 2022, as the new date for the conduct of the delayed Lofa County By-election.

There Senate's plenary decision was triggered by a communication received from the National Elections Commission (NEC) requesting the Liberian Senate to set a new date for the Lofa County By-election.

The electoral law provides that when the Constitutional date for election fails, the National Elections Commission should write the National Legislature to set a new date; with this provision, the Senate Plenary on its 27th Day Sitting through the leadership reported that both Houses Leadership met and agreed to have Tuesday, June 28, 2022, set as the new date for the Bye-election.

In May 2022, the Board of Commissioners of the National Elections Commission announced that the Lofa County by-election scheduled for May 10, 2022, was postponed and will not be held as expected due to ongoing legal issues between the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), Unity Party (UP) and the All Liberian Party (ALP).

Making the announcement, the chairperson of the Commission, Mrs. Davidetta Brown Lansannah also announced the NEC has received the budgeted amount of US$1.2 million for the conduct of the election in Lofa County.

After a prolong legal battle between the UP and the CPPP over eligibility for the UP to feed a candidate in Lofa County, On June 4th 2022, the Supreme Court of Liberia ruled in favor of the opposition Unity Party that it can field a candidate in the ensuing Senatorial Election in Lofa County.

In the ruling on Friday, the full bench of the Supreme Court said the purported section 8.5(2) of the Collaborating Political Party (CPP) framework document, which barred any breakaway member from fielding candidates in any election until 2024 is against the Constitution of Liberia, and it is declared null and void.

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