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Liberians in US push for oversea
voting rights By: Alloycious David June 22, 2009  Liberians
residing in the United States of America under the banner of the Union
of Liberian Associations in the Americas (ULAA) have requested the Truth
and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to recommend that Liberians in the
Diaspora be granted right for their national leaders in their countries
of residence. The ULAA National President, Anthony V. Kesselly told the TRC National Conference currently convening at the Unity Conference Center in Virginia, outside Monrovia, that they want to exercise their franchise by voting for their country’s leaders while residing abroad. He said the more than 400,000 Liberians in the US want polling stations opened in America during national elections to enable them participate in the process. Mr. Kesselly said they have considered the financial implication of the oversea voting and have initiated discussion with US democracy institutes and the International Foundation for Electoral System (IFES), which have agreed to support the process as long as it is sanctioned by the Liberian government. He disclosed that ULAA in 2004 dispatched a delegation here that met with the then Interim Chairman Gyude Bryant and National Elections Commissioners as well as other government officials on the issue, but the problem of no money was raised. The ULAA National President who observed that there is no legislation that forbids out of country voting said, “we are only requesting that we be afforded the opportunity to vote.” He indicated that most of them residing in United States of America did not leave Liberia at their own accord, noting that most of us were forced into exile in the US as a result of the civil unrest that existed in the country. |
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