Presidential hopeful Tiawan Saye Gongloe wants the national legislature to reject the new election law because it exclusive potential winners from next year’s presidential and legislative polls.
He said the new election laws on registration fee is meant to exclude potential winners of the 2023 presidential and legislative elections which will not augur well for the country and its people.
Gongloe is therefore calling on the national legislature which resume sitting today (Monday) to debate pressing national issues having being recalled from their annual break by the presidency to reject the new law.
He made these comments when spoke on the simmering fragility of the 2023 general elections: “Is there any possibility for an opposition political party win,” during an honoring program held for him by the Center for the Promotion of Intellectual Development (CENPID) over the weekend in Monrovia.
Early this year (February), the House of Representatives amended certain sections of the elections law of 1986 in what appears to be muzzle of Liberia’s fragile democracy.
The House’s action, which will not affect incumbents, rather aspiring ones, will astronomically increase candidates’ registration fees for the post of president, vice president, representatives, and senators.
The amended section 7.3 (2), which deals with the application and double fees, removes the modest amount that enables many of them to register and contest for public office over the last two decades.
Comes the 2023 elections, they (representatives) have decided to double the previous fee of US$2, 500.00 registration fees for the president; US$1, 500.00 for vice president; US$750. 00 for senators; and US$500.00 for the representatives.
Therefore, aspirants for the office of president, must now pay US$5, 000; US$3, 000 for the vice president position, while senate is US$1,500 and representative US$1, 000.00
The House also voted at the time to amend Section 4.5 of the 1986 election law which set aside an exclusive 30 percent for women representation in every political party during the submission of candidates to the National Elections Commission (NEC).
Section 4.5 (1d) of the Elections Law Amendment Act also called for a Political Party or Coalition to have at least one woman contestant for every primary at a convention for each constituency.
And section 3.1 which deals with the registration of voters has also been amended, thus granting Liberians in the diaspora voting rights provided if they will meet the requirements listed in the Act.
The requirements include; possession of a valid Liberian passport or a National Identification Card (NIR) known as a Citizen’s ID Card.
The amendment of certain sections of the New Elections Law (1986) of the House of Representatives precipitated from a report from the Joint Committee on Elections and Inauguration, Good Governance and Government Reform, Judiciary and Gender Equity, Child Development and Social Services.
He however then predicted of winning the presidency with 65 percent doing the first round by adhering to the prescriptions which includes speaking fearlessly and truthfully about the pain and suffering of the Liberian people; provide a clear prescription for combatting lawlessness, corruption and poverty.
Others are poor educational system and healthcare system, poor infrastructure and environmental protection, poor sanitation and local governance as well as poor economic policy and energy system as well as the clear path to sustained peace, progress and prosperity for a better Liberia.
Gongloe said an opposition party that demonstrates a commitment to transparent governance will win and that will be an opposition party that presents a presidential candidate that is knowledgeable about the history of Liberia, governance challenges, has demonstrated integrity in public service, and has remained consistent and persistent in speaking truth to power,” Gongloe noted.
He pointed out that without a doubt the winning opposition party that will win in 2023 will be the Liberian Peoples Party (LPP) and I will be the presidential candidate that will win based on my track record of fearlessly speaking truth to power and my record of integrity in public service.
Gongloe stated that government is a place to serve and not to steal, adding, “Yes, public office is not for public stealing but public service. We call on the Liberian people to say goodbye to stealing, ignorance, incompetence and arrogance by voting the CDC out of power in 2023.”
Besides the LPP, the former President of the Liberian National Bar Association (LNBA) still believe it will be the opposition bloc because there is no way for the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) to win because Liberians will be voting on the performance record of the party and the record is very bad.
“The 2023 election will not be like 2017 election, when CDC was the voted for based on mere expectation
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