By Edward Kollie| Contributor
Movement for one Liberia Political leader Macdella Cooper says it complete ‘tragedy’ for Liberia with lot of potential women to have to just 11% female representation in National Politics and inputs in decision making.
Madam Cooper said it is now time for women of Liberia to explore their potential by being involved with national conversation and ensure that their representation is elevated and sustained.
Speaking at the launch of what she termed, as “the Women Lapper Movement and appreciation for presumptive Gbarpolu County Senator Gboto Kanneh for her victory at the Supreme Court, madam Cooper noted that the revolution does is not just intended to advocate for women participate in politics, but to ensure that critical issues affecting Liberian women are addressed.
She mentioned that lot of Liberians women has been involved with great development across the country and noted they too need to be recognize on the national same.
The former Presidential Candidate noted that movement will ensure was pleased with madam Kanneh victory and vowed to ensure that Nimba County senatorial candidate Edith Gongloe Wreh gets Justice, and fully support women participation in five upcoming by-elections.
Speaking earlier former Liberia Foreign Minister Olubanke King Akerele said Gboto Kanneh’s victory at the Supreme Court of Liberia was the beginning of the what the ‘Lapper revolution’ will do in uplifting women political participation.
Madam Akerele who is the granddaughter of Liberia 17th president Charles D.B. King said she was glad that the women of Liberia have decided to rise up and fight for increase women representation in politic, while stressing the need for elderly Liberia to support younger ones interested in politics.
For her part, former Chief Cllr. Justice Glorious Scott who pleaded on behalf of the madam Gboto Kanneh described the victory at the Supreme Court as a momentous for the struggle for women political participation.
Cllr. Scott however call on the National Elections Commission take corrective measures to reduce the number of cases that come before it and stop defending the violations of NEC workers in the field.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday March 24, 2021 ordered the National Elections Commission to announce the result of the Gbarpolu Senatorial Elections.
It can be recalled, on December 14, 2020, the CDC wrote a communication to the election magistrate in Gbarpolu County alleging that Independent Candidate Madam Gboto Kanneh had violated chapter 10, section 10.6 of the elections laws and pray for the NEC to place sanctions on Madam Kanneh and order a re-run in the 13 precincts in Gbarma District.
According to the CDC, the actions of Madam Kanneh and her supporters impeded the election in Gbarma District, and therefore pray the NEC for a re-run in the district.
While the complaint was pending, the CDC again filed a communication to the Board of Commissioners of the NEC, complaining of the NEC magistrate’s inaction in assigning the complaint for hearing, and prayed for change of venue and stay order on the election re-run earlier slated for January 7, 2021 in Normon Town.
The NEC Board of Commissioners heard the case and ruled that the application for change of venue was not proper before the board as the board could only hear the matter after the trial or investigative tribunal had made a decision and the dissatisfied party proceed for a review to the board on appeal.
Also, in regards to the stay order on the re-run, the NEC board of commissioners also ruled that the CDC didn’t cite any law that requires that the election placed a stayed pending the outcome of its allegations of criminality against Madam Kanneh.
Following the NEC Boards ruling, the CDC filed a petition for a Writ of Prohibition before the Supreme Court Justice in Chambers, Associate Justice Sie-Nyene G. Yuoh, requesting the Justice to issue a stay order to restrain and forbid the NEC from conducting the rescheduled election in Normon Town, challenging that the NEC decision was extreme vires and illegal.
After a conference between the CDC and NEC, a mandate was sent to the NEC, ordering the commission to hold all actions or pronouncement on the election of the affected area in the county until the hearing and decision of the complaint filed before the Elections Magistrate is heard and determined.
During the hearing of the complaint Madam Kanneh lawyers argued that the NEC does not have the jurisdiction to hear and investigate the matter of electoral violence as alleged by the CDC.
They prayed the NEC Magistrate to dismiss the case base on subject matter jurisdiction.
After the legal arguments, the NEC Magistrate ruled that the NEC has a responsibility to investigate and make determination into the case.
However, in her ruling, Justice Howard-Wolokolie said the NEC lacks subject jurisdiction in the matter because it is a criminal matter.
If announce winner, Madam Kanneh will be the second female senator in the country.
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