At the policy forum, it was acknowledged that the National Elections Commission (NEC) developed regulations for voter registration, candidate nomination, campaign finance, complaints and appeals, and electoral petition hearings for the 2023 elections.
By Naneka A. Hoffman
Monrovia, August 29, 2024: The Elections Coordinating Committee (ECC) has held Liberia's Independent Domestic Elections Observation Activity Legal Policy Forum under the Theme: "Strengthening Liberia's Electoral Legal Framework."
The Consultant at the Center for Democratic Governance, Cllr. George Sagbeh presented the ECC's review, findings, and analysis on Wednesday, August 28, 2024, at a local hotel in Sinkor, a Monrovia suburb.
Cllr. Sagbeh said the legal frameworks for the holding of elections in Liberia are drawn primarily from the Constitution and other statutes of Liberia, ECOWAS protocols, and other agreed guidelines, and codes.
He explained that legal analysis assesses laws and practices, their potential points of conflict or convergence, and their relative implications for future reforms.
During the period of this legal analysis (October 2023-November 2023), Cllr. Sagbeh noted that the implementation challenges will be highlighted, citing those that impacted the laws, regulations, and procedures for the 2023 election period.
According to him, the legal framework consists of a body of laws, including the 1986 Constitution, the New Elections Law (NEL) of Liberia, and its implementing regulations and guidelines.
He pointed out that the 1986 Constitution predates many of Liberia's ratifications and accession to necessary international and regional legal instruments, which have implications for elections.
He detailed that key fundamental rights consonant with international standards and relevant to the conduct of genuine elections are enshrined in the state's basic law.
Cllr. Sagbeh added that these include the right to vote periodically, and the last time the NEL was amended was in 2014.
For the the 2023 elections, he explained that the National Elections Commission (NEC) developed regulations for voter registration, nomination of candidates, campaign finance, complaints and appeals, and hearing of electoral petitions.
Further, Cllr. Sagbeh said the guidelines developed included the procedure for tallying results and the polling and counting manual.
He stated that Liberia has accelerated ratifications and accessions to international and regional legal instruments with implications for elections.
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He disclosed that it complements a body of civil and political rights standards arising under provisions and international customary law aspects of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
The Legal Consultant indicated that among the treaties to which Liberia is a party are the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CPRD).
He said Liberia is a party to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR) regionally.
