NEC To Disqualify Dual Citizens, If…
-Weah, Dahn Face Gavel

 

By: Lewis K. Glay

 

Forum
Monrovia, Liberia

Distributed by

The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia

Posted August 12, 2005

 

The Chairman of the National Elections Commission (NEC), Cllr. Frances Johnson-Morris, has clarified that the Liberian constitution rejects dual citizenship, and anyone who obtains such status cannot be qualified by law to run for presidency.

Cllr. Morris said if you are born by a Liberian mother and a Ghanaian father for instance, you automatically have a dual citizenship, while you are a minor but when you reach maturity you must renounce it to be a Liberian.

She also said if you were mature and sought another citizenship you must renounce that citizenship or else you are not a Liberian.

Chairman Morris told journalists at NEC’s weekly press briefing yesterday that a coalition of political parties’ youth filed a complaint to the Commission against Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) Standard-bearer George Weah, claiming that he has a dual citizenship. She also disclosed that one Davies and Dukuly wrote the NEC separate complaints against Dr. Marcus Dahn of the Alliance for Peace and Democracy (APD) of having similar status.

The Chairman said these complaints are currently being looked into and the NEC is doing its research to ascertain whether said complaints were correct before they can be appropriately addressed.

Cllr. Morris also revealed that six registered voters who are said to be partisans of the Liberian Education and Agriculture Development (LEAD) filed a writ of mandamus against the NEC for allegedly denying their presidential aspirant, Rev. Hananiah Zoe, to go through the process of nomination on grounds that he did not register and therefore could not be qualified by the process.

She however noted there was no ruling in the mandamus case but the Commission was told to allow submit his document and he was allowed.

Meanwhile, the NEC will on Monday 15 August 2005 officially issue notices of acceptance/rejection of candidates, after considering recommendations from the Scrutiny Committee which is said to be reviewing applications and verifying all documentations.

NEC has received a total of 779 nominations in the categories of 27 for president, 25 for vice president, 206 for senate and 521 for representative, respectively.

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