By E. Geedahgar Garsuah
MONROVIA: The Election Coordinating Committee (ECC), a civil society advocacy and elections monitoring group, has alarmed over the alleged involvement of the recently appointed Chairperson of the Governance Commission, Garrison Doldeh Yealue, Jr., in ‘active politics.
Speaking to journalists on the sideline of the signing of a grant agreement with the Irish Government, worth US$100,000, ECC Chairperson, Cllr. Oscar Bloh, indicated that Garrison Yealue’s involvement in ‘active politics is in gross violation of Section 5.3.4 of the Legislative Act that established the Governance Commission.
Chairman Bloh added that what is more troubling is his conduct, which is in violation of the Code of Conduct for Public Officials (Section 5.1.3) which clearly prohibits public officials from engaging in political activities while in office.”
The ECC is seven member institutions and networks working in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Irish Aid.
ECC members include; the Center for Democratic Governance (CDG); Center for Conflict Prevention and Peace-Building (CECPAP), Center for Media Studies and Peace Building (CEMESP); Institute for Research and Democratic Development (IREDD).
Other ECC members organizations are; West Africa Network for Peace Building (WANEP), and the Women’s NGO Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL); NAYMOTE Partners for Democratic Development.
In a Facebook post recently, Mr. Yealue expressed his support for incumbent President George Weah’s re-election bid. In said Facebook post, Mr. Yealue expressed his intention to encourage his fellow community members to do the same.
Mr. Garrison Yealue, a former Representative of Nimba County, was nominated by President George Weah and subsequently confirmed by the Liberian Senate for the position of Chairman of the Governance Commission (GC).
“I am personally endorsing President George M. Weah for re-election, and I will actively work to persuade my constituents to support him as well. However, it is essential that we adhere to the rules of fair play in our political endeavors. Baseless accusations against me will not serve any constructive purpose”, Yealue said.
“Furthermore, it is important to clarify that my name, Garrison Doldeh Yealue, Jr., will not appear on the ballot papers. Our primary goal is to ensure that our people can benefit from their significant representation. In Vayenglay, we have a saying: ‘Lue Gbeh mehn e zohn Wia kar, a yea dor Vayenglay Gueh muon’ which means Nimba belongs to all of us! Indeed, the maggots and the carcasses are inseparable!”
However, the ECC, in a statement issued through it Chairperson, Oscar Bloh said, if nothing is done to stop this unlawful behavior, it could be carried out by other public officials when the 2023 Presidential and Legislative elections campaign starts.
“Over the years, our governance system and practices have been challenged due to impunity and the lack of adherence to the rule of law. Elections do not guarantee democracy, so it is the collective responsibility of civil society organizations including election observation groups to confront practices and behaviors that undermine the quality of our democracy,” ECC indicated.
The partnership ECC is under the project: “Deeping and Consolidating Liberia’s Democracy” which runs for one year – from May 2023-May 2024, according to the ECC.
“This support from the Irish Government will contribute to the work of the ECC in providing an independent voice on the electoral process and we will do it without fear or favor,” the ECC said.
The ECC is Liberia’s largest domestic election observation network with diverse competencies, experiences and expertise in democracy, elections and governance. It was established in 2010.
“We are proud of the trust reposed in us as a partner and we can assure Irish Aid and the tax payers of Ireland that the resources provided to the ECC will be managed and used in an effective, efficient, and professional manner,” Cllr. Bloh assured.
