On Tuesday 19 September 2017, the Deputy Minister of Justice, John Arrow Bockerie on behalf of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) tabled the Statutory Instrument No. 115 of 2017 in the House of Parliament. This Instrument being the proposed nomination fees for the 2018 general elections was thrown out of Parliament on grounds that it has “many anomalies” and was not “properly before the House”.
On Thursday 16 November 2017, the Director of Media and External Relations of the NEC, Albert Massaquoi, disclosed that the Commission has addressed the concerns which led to the document being thrown out the first time. The Commission has submitted the reviewed document to the office of the Attorney General for it to be tabled in Parliament yesterday.
“The end of the life span of Parliament is exactly 21 days. We hope it will be tabled and approved. If the fees are not passed, we will use the existing ones. If they are passed, it will open up the democratisation process”, Massaquoi added.
Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) were concerned with the time within which the document was to be tabled in Parliament and stressed the need for Parliament to pass the proposed fees into law.
The proposed fees are as follows:
Presidential Aspirants = Le 30,000,000;
Ordinary Member of Parliament = Le3,000,000;
Paramount Chief Member of Parliament = Le3,000,000;
Mayor/Councillors = Le1, 500,000;
Village Head = Le250, 000.
The nomination process for the conduct of Village Head elections will commence on Wednesday 22 to Wednesday 29 November 2017. 123 villages are expected to conduct nominations for all aspirants.
By Edna Smalle
Friday November 17, 2017.
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