 |
| President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf |
Monrovia, October 8, 2014: The President of the Republic of Liberia, Her
Excellency Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, acting pursuant to powers vested in her
by both the Constitution of Liberia and the Declaration
of the State of Emergency, has
in a Proclamation issued on October 4, 2014, suspended the holding of the
October 14, 2014 Senatorial Elections.
A Foreign Ministry
release says the President has also suspended all voting rights associated and
connected with the Senatorial Elections.
According to the release, the President has directed the
National Elections Commission, the agency of Government authorized to hold
general and special elections, to immediately commence consultations and
discussions with all recognized and accredited political parties, independent
candidates, and civil society organizations and other stakeholders, as well as
national and international health authorities on a new date for holding the
Special Senatorial Elections.
Citing reasons that necessitated the
suspension of the October 14 Senatorial Elections, the Proclamation states, “As
a consequence of the measures taken by the Government under the State of
Emergency to contain the spread and eradicate the virus, the continued
prevalence of the Virus, and other self-surviving measures taken by the people
in restricting their travel and contacts, necessary for a free, open and
transparent political atmosphere, the National Elections Commission, the
Institution clothed with the authority to conduct elections in Liberia, has
informed the Government that it has been unable to undertake several of the
processes that are prerequisites to conducting the pending 2014 Senatorial
Elections, including the deployment of staff in the field to conduct
civil/voter education, the recruitment and deployment of the required polling
staff at polling centers, the importation of basic, essential and sensitive
electoral materials due to the suspension of flights to Liberia, the requisite
campaigning by senatorial candidates and the monitoring of the process and
activities by the NEC to ensure that there are no violations of the Elections
Law and that violations are adequately addressed.”
It can be recalled that the President on
August 6, 2014 declared a State of Emergency throughout the Nation, which
action was subsequently approved by the National Legislature as stipulated
under Article 86 of the Constitution with the aim to combat the deadly virus
affecting Liberia and its people and eradicate the virus from the Nation.
“Under the Constitution and the mentioned
Declaration of the State of Emergency, the President is vested with the power and
clothed with the authority to suspend, during the period of the State of
Emergency, any and all rights ordinarily exercised, enjoyed and guaranteed to
citizens and residents of the Republic in normal periods, limited only by
specific exceptions stipulated by the Constitution”, the Proclamation adds.
Signed:
Horatio Bobby Willie
Assistant Minister/Public Affairs