Political Parties Beg for Mercy - National Elections Commission

PRESS RELEASE
(Monrovia, September 20, 2013); The National Elections Commission (NEC) has
given a grace period of One week to all registered political parties in the country
to enable them publish and submit to the Commission detailed statements of
their assets and liabilities in keeping with Article 83 (d) of the Liberian
Constitution.
The commission took the decision Friday following an appeal made by political
parties at a meeting between authorities of the NEC and political parties in
Monrovia.
During the meeting the Chairman of the NEC, Cllr. Jerome Korkoya, announced
that all political parties in the country were in violation of Article 83 (d) of the
constitution by their failure to publish and submit their statements on September
1 this year.
Chairman Korkoya said the Commission will remain committed to implementing
its mandate in line with the laws of Liberia.
He urged political parties to respect the grace period given them by the
Commission and ensure that they publish and submit to the Commission
statements of their assets and liabilities.
Political parties in attendance admitted to violating Article 83 (d) of the
Constitution and appealed to the Commission for an extension of the cutoff date
previously set at Tuesday, September 24, 2013 to Friday, September 27, 2013.

During the meeting it was resolved that political parties that have partially
complied with the constitutional provision as well as those that have not
submitted or published their statements to do so within the Friday, September
27, 2013 grace period.
Chairman Korkoya said even though the Commission has given political parties an
extended grace period, it will decide what course of action to be taken against
political parties for violating the constitution.
Political Parties violating the Article 83 (d) of the Constitution were placed in five
categories.
1. Category One (I) Consists of political parties which submitted statements
of their assets and liabilities to the commission on time but did not publish
on time. Political parties in this category include Union of Liberian
Democrats (ULD), Liberia Transformation Party (LTP), All Liberian Coalition
Party (ALCOP), Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) and the National
Patriotic Party.
2. Category Two (2) consists of Political parties that submitted statements of
assets and liabilities on time but did not publish. These political parties
include Grass Root Democratic party of Liberia (GDPL), Original Congress
Party of Liberia (OCPL), National Vision Party of Liberia (NATVIPOL) and the
National Reformation Party (NRP).
3. Category Three (3) consists of political parties that submitted assets and
liabilities statements after the required dates of submission and did not
submit proof of publication. Political parties involved are True Whig Party
(TWP), Unity Party (UP) and the Progressive Democratic Party of Liberia
(PRODEMP).
4. Category IV consists of Political Parties that Published and Submitted assets
and Liabilities the Liberty Party which published and submitted statements
of Assets and Liabilities after the required time frame.
5. Category VI Consists of political parties that did not publish and submit
Statements of Liabilities and Assets. they include the National Democratic
Party of Liberia (NDPL), Liberia Equal Rights Party (LERP), Liberia

Reconstruction Party (LRP), Alliance for Peace and Democracy (APD),
Citizens Unification Party (CUP), National Union for Democratic Progress
(NUDP), Majority Party of Liberia (MAPOL), Victory for Change (VFC),
Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Freedom Alliance Party of Liberia (FAPL),
Liberia Empowerment Party (LEP), Movement for Progressive Change,
Republican Party (RP), Alternative National Congress (ANC), Liberia destiny
Party (LDP), National Social Democratic party of Liberia (NSDPL), Liberia
National Union (LINU) and the National democratic Coalition (NDC).
Signed: ______________________
Joey T. Kennedy
Director of Communication