President George Manneh Weah of Liberia has declared Tuesday, June 28, By-Election Day and ordered that it be observed as a public holiday only in Lofa County in order to hold the Senate By-Election that was triggered by December 8, 2020, Mid-Term Senatorial Elections while strictly adhering to the COVID-19 health protocols.
The Proclamation requests that all local people, including those who are foreigners, respect this Public Holiday as such. On that day, from six o’clock ante meridian to six o’clock post meridian, all government offices, business establishments, private and public institutes of study, and marketplaces in Lofa County are to be closed, with the exception of hospitals and other medical facilities.
It also stated that the Liberian government wanted to ensure that all eligible voters exercise their right to vote in Lofa County without interference on election day. According to a press release from the Foreign Ministry, the Supreme Court’s final ruling, which resulted from the Bill of Information proceeding, rendered Mr. Brownie J. Samukai, the presumed victor, incapable of serving as the Senator of Lofa County, effectively declaring the seat in the Liberian Senate vacant.
The National Elections Commission (NEC), according to the Proclamation, informed the Liberian Senate in a communication dated May 3, 2022, that “the NEC does not believe it will be feasible to conduct the Lofa County Senatorial By-Election on May 10, 2022, due to ongoing legal process between the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) versus the All Liberian Party (ALP) and the Unity Party (UP), and the participation of the relevant aspirants in the by-election.
According to the statement, the Legislature used its legislative powers to enact a joint resolution that established the previously announced new date for the by-election for the senatorial seat in Lofa County. The Senate and House of Representatives of the 54th Legislature of the Republic of Liberia adopted a Joint Resolution (LEG-001/2022) establishing a New Date for the Conduct of the By-Election for the Lofa County Senatorial Seat on the Fourth Tuesday of June, the Same Being the 28th, 2022 and published into handbills by Authority of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on June 17, 2022, the Proclamation further stated.
The Liberian Senate Presiding Officer duly informed the National Elections Commission (NEC) of the vacancy on February 16, 2022, in accordance with Article 37 of the Constitution of the Republic of Liberia, according to the Proclamation.
