MONROVIA, October 21 (LINA) -The National Elections Commission (NEC) has proposed Tuesday, December 16, as the new date to hold the mid-term Senatorial Election.

However, this date will require Legislative and Presidential approval.

The senatorial election was postponed based on a Presidential Proclamation made on October 9, calling for the suspension of the elections because of the severity of the Ebola crisis.

Elections in Liberia are constitutionally scheduled for the second Tuesday in October each election year. Accordingly, the mid-term Senatorial elections should have taken place on October 14 this year.

NEC Chairman Cllr. Jerome Korkoyah said the proposed date was agreed upon following series of discussions and consultations with political parties, independent candidates, Press Union of Liberia, youth and student groups.

Cllr. Korkoyah made the disclosure at the Commission’s headquarters when he addressed the Electoral Coordination Committee comprising mainly civil society groups on Monday.

He pointed out that NEC recognizes that any new date for the elections cannot be established by it alone and has announced the beginning of a series of consultations in Monrovia and the counties to reach a consensus.

“One possibility being proposed is partial elections, where counties with lower Ebola caseloads or transmission rates could have elections, while counties still gripped by the epidemic could have their elections later,” he said.
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