Monrovia, Liberi – Henry Pedro Costa, a senatorial candidate for Montserrado County, called the just completed NEC biometric voter registration exercise a disaster. He claimed that the National Election Commission (NEC) had fallen short of its obligation to ensure a fair, open, and effective voter registration process for the nation. Including the various system flaws, including broken biometric devices and an inadequately trained workforce.
Costa who is also head of the Council of Patriots Claimed that the outcome of this flawed exercise is evident in the low turnout of individuals eligible to register to be able to vote on October 10, 2023, particularly in areas where these failures were most pronounced. He maintained that it is unacceptable and considerably calls into question the integrity of the electoral process in Liberia.
There have been reports of people being turned away from registration centers for questionable reasons. He pointed out that the time provided for the first stage of voter registration was woefully inadequate, particularly in Montserrado, the county with the highest population. The senatorial candidate for Montserrado County also brought up the problem of registration centers’ accessibility, which forced too many people to travel great distances, particularly in rural areas, only to be informed that “the system is down” after they had endured the difficult journey.
He claimed that it was an obvious attempt to deny some groups of people their right to vote and to undermine the democratic process. “We expect that the NEC do far better as we get to the second phase of the biometric voter registration procedure. They have to make sure the test is done in a fair, open, and effective manner. The first phase’s system flaws must be addressed, and safeguards must be put in place to avoid voting suppression.”
He reiterated the opposition’s leader Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s passionate demand that the voter registration period be extended to enable all eligible Liberians to register in order to exercise their God-given, constitutionally guaranteed right to vote in the crucial general and presidential elections on October 10, 2023.
He continued, “It’s a sad fact that Liberia has consistently been one of the world’s poorest nations, with more than 60% of the population almost always living below the poverty line, but the inexcusably manifest incompetence underpinned by woeful negligence and breakdown in law and order, combined with the lack of leadership by President George Weah, has only made matters worse.”
”It is beyond depressing to see how many kids sell sweets, cold drinks, and biscuits on the streets instead of attending school where they should be developing their leadership skills.”
The Montserrado County senatorial candidate noted that Liberians are suffering more now than ever in the peaceful history as a nation. According to him, the country’s economic potential is being undermined by high unemployment rates and widespread corruption; ”Liberia’s future is at risk, and we cannot afford to let it slip away.”
”We require a leader who would prioritize Liberians’ needs, toil relentlessly to better our people’s lives, and see to it that the democratic system is respected.”
Reported by: Joseph N. Kerkula
Email: jnkerkula@gmail.com
Contact: +231777376826
