The December 26 date for the runoff of the 2017 presidential elections might be altered by the Legislature as the lawmakers have vowed to punish authorities of the National Elections Commission (NEC) for “usurping legislative function when the commission unilaterally set the runoff date without the their approval.” On Tuesday, December 12, NEC Chairman Jerome Korkoya and the Board of Commissioners announced December 26 as the date for the runoff election after the stay order was lifted by the Supreme Court. The Legislature, as the first branch of government, has the authority to make laws, make representation and exercise oversight. The Legislature also signs resolutions to make laws and the joint resolution of the Legislature is to propose constitutional amendments. This resolution and other resolutions require a two-thirds affirmative vote in each house, and are not submitted to the President.
Based on that, the Daily Observer yesterday gathered that the Senate has written an additional communication to Korkoya expressing concern for singlehandedly setting a new date for the runoff outside the constitution and without the approval of the legislature.
The NEC chair was earlier summoned to appear before that body on Tuesday, December 19, at 12 noon to address some pertinent problems the commission is faced with in the wake of the pending runoff presidential election.
Full Article: Liberia: New Run-Off Date By NEC Upsets Legislators – allAfrica.com.
