It looks like President George Mannah Oppong Weah of the Republic of Liberia is taking the “no money” idea out of the political playbook of President Lawrence Kubalu’s, who refused to have elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo because according Mr. Kabula, the country does not have money for elections.
The Congress for Democratic Change Government of the Republic of Liberia led by former footballer of the years, H.E George Mannah Oppong Weah, has indicated that his government will not hold Bi-Elections for two senate seats vacated by Mr. Weah…former Senator of Montserado County, and his vice president and wife of former leader of the National Patriotic Front of Liberia, Mr. Charles Taylor, Mrs. Jewel Taylor, former Senator of Bong County.
According to the Liberian Constitution, the government must call a Bi- Elections within 90 days if an elected office is being vacated. But the Congress of Democratic Change led government told Liberians that it will not have those elections as instructed by the constitution because the government does have money to do so.
Government critics have expressed their disappointed in the government of populist president Mr. Weah, who came to power to protect the poor and upheld the value of the constitution of Liberia. But some of the critics were also quick to point out that it is now the responsibility of opposition political parties to take the government to court to force the government to have those elections. One of the critics used Governor Scott Walker as an example for the opposition to follow. In the U.S state of Wisconsin, a judge had to order Republican Governor Scott Walker to have Special Election that he refused to because having those elections might have given Democrats two addition seats.
Supporters of the government said, while it’s true the constitution is clear on having bi election within 90 days when a seat is declared vacant, the constitution does not exclude the government from looking at other factors that must be considered before those elections are held. They indicated that although the respect what the constitution says, it impossible to have elections when there is no money to do so.
Whatsoever the government decides on holding bi-elections for the two senate seats, will have a lasting impact on the young democracy that the country is trying to build. The constitution must be respected in all its facets. If Mr. Weah and his supporters are undermining the constitution by refusing to have elections to fill those two seats, many are afraid that they might refuse to have elections when Mr. Weah’s term as president is over in 2023, using no money as an excuse to keep himself in power.