UN Mobilizes US$600k For Senatorial By-Elections

(LINA) – The Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in Liberia, Yacoub El Hillo, has described the scheduled senatorial by-elections as “cardinal to democracy” in Liberia.
He says the UN has mobilized US$600,000 to help fill the financing gap of the electoral cost, but there still exists a balance of US$300,000.
The head of the UN family in Liberia made the remarks when he paid a courtesy visit to House Speaker Bhofal Chambers recently, according to a release from the speaker’s office.
The Resident Coordinator stated further that the United Nations is working with the National Elections Commission (NEC) to hold the two Senatorial elections in Montserrado and Bong counties, occasioned by the victory of Senators George Weah and Jewel Howard-Taylor of the two counties respectively in the 2017 presidential and representative polls.
He also disclosed that the United Nations and other donor partners stand ready to work with the Liberian Government for the successful holding of the pending national population census.
The UN official also told Speaker Chambers that all the international community envisage is to see the Liberian Government take the lead by budgetary allocation to holding of the population census and the United Nations and donor partners will buttress such efforts significantly by donating cash and materials.
Speaker Chambers, in remarks, said Liberia was grateful for the UN’s relentless support to the country’s rebuilding process.
However, the House Speaker criticized the past regime’s efforts to review the 1986 Constitution of Liberia as having some missteps in the process.
The Speaker said this has undermined the legitimate process and procedure to amend the Constitution, admitting however that to review the Constitution “such process must follow what the existing Constitution says about revision.”
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