Monrovia — The City Mayor of Louisiana Township in Montserrado County Moses K. White has expressed concerns over the conduct of the ensuing October 10 presidential and legislative elections without the demarcation of electoral constituencies by the National Elections Commission (NEC).
Commissioner White recalled that following the conduct of National Population and Housing Census (NPHS) in 2008, the commission carried out the demarcation of political boundaries to meet the threshold to form a district or constituency.
He observed that despite the conduct of the just ended controversial National Census under the President George Manneh Weah government, the commission has failed to execute the mandate.
He made these comments in an interview with Reporters in the township over the week end.
Commissioner White stated that the failure of the NEC to demarcate political boundaries or set the threshold for an electoral district continue to make citizens and others to speculate.
He made specific reference to the case filed against district # 11 Monntserrado County Representative candidate Mr. Thomas Nimene Tweh, who is commonly known as Original Country Man (OCM), on grounds that he was ineligible to contest following a domicile case filed against him by candidate Siah Tandanpollie of the New Liberia Party (NLP).
Commissioner White said the omission of the name of a particular community from the political constituency of the National Elections Commission does not necessarily mean that such community does not exist in a district.
"People who need information are not going to the requisite institutions or authorities. If you go to the NEC, you will see there are some communities on the election mapping. Take for example district 11 map, there will be some major communities on the map. Those were communities that were in existence when the census was done. Other communities will not be there because they are newly established communities."
He maintained that the residence of Mr. Tweh falls in district 11 despite the complaint filed against him.
"We have said to people that 'go to NEC or get a geographer to come and know where the boundary stops. These are simple things but we know that these are political times and people try to make issues out of it."
He said the lack of Voter Registration center in a particular community should not be used to determine whether or not said community is part of a district or not.
"The best way to find an electoral district is to go to NEC. The boundaries are there and major communities are listed. Even district 15 cut across three townships; Garklo Towship, New Georgia Township and Caldwell Township. As a major stakeholder of this township, districts # 1, 2 and 11 fall in Louisiana.
"We have started providing tutorial for people on numerous occasions. We need to understand the difference between electoral boundaries and political boundaries. We have the political map here and the political map will give you the demarcation between townships, cities and clans. But when it comes to electoral aspect, we have electoral districts. To our own understanding, where God Grace Community is, it is part of the township of Louisiana, when it comes to electoral processes, God Grace Community is in district # 11."
Commissioner Tweh pointed out that Louisiana Township falls under three electoral districts, including districts 1, 2 and 11.
He maintained that as per the mapping, the boundary between Louisiana and Caldwell is district 11, the boundary between Louisiana and Johnsonville is district # 2, while the remaining parts of the township falls in district # 1 in Montserrado County.
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"Caldwell has two lawmakers, Richard Koon and Abu Kamara. So, electoral districts have nothing to do with townships, clans or cities. People need to understand that we have the political and electoral mapping. Since the new threshold or census was conducted, the NEC has not come up with any demarcation."
"But if you look at the past elections in 2005, Caldwell, Louisiana, and Brewerville were part of a single district headed by Victoria Lynch. It was district 13 at the time. After that, there was a census conducted and the legislature passed a new threshold separating the Right Bank and the Left bank. The Right Bank of the St. Paul River is now district 17."
