Barring any last minute hitches, all is set today, March 30, 2021 for the certification and official recognition of Madam Gbotoe Kanneh as the duly elected senator of Gbarpolu County during the just concluded Special Senatorial midterm election held on December 8, 2020. The ceremony as usual, will be held at the Headquarters of the National Election Commission (NEC)
The news of Madam Kanneh’s reported certification filtered in from close friends and some family members who said the latest female political sensation was communicated to by the electoral umpire about two days ago for her to get prepared for today’s program.
The certification of Madam Kanneh is coming on the heels of the unanimous verdict of the Supreme Court of Liberia ordering NEC to immediate announce the final results of the election, declare and certificate the eventual winner, who happened to be the female politician. The development made the Apex Court to come up with an opinion about the recurrent, unabated and unchecked acts of electoral violence in the country.
In their ruling, the Justices of the Supreme Court of Liberia labeled the continued failure of the Ministry of Justice to prosecute election offenders accordingly, as a threat to country’s peace and existence. It was the considered opinion of the court that the Ministry of Justice led by Cllr Frank Musa Dean inability to take decisive punitive measures against electoral violence sends a wrong signal of trouble in the future.
“We fear that if election violence is not handled decisively now, future elections in our country will be disaster-prone,” the Justices wrote in their judgment in the Gbarpolu County Electoral dispute case between Madam Kanneh( appellant), the Coalition for Democratic Change( 1st Appelle) and the National Elections Commission(NEC), the 2nd appelle.
The certification of Madam Kanneh today will bring to two, the number of female senators in the country. Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, Senator of Grand Bassa County and political leader of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) had for a long time held that enviable place as the only female senator in the national legislature after the demise of the late Geraldine Doe-Sheriff of Montserrado County.
An elated Madam Kanneh speaking at the premises of the Court moments after the historic verdict was delivered had this to say then “I want to say glory be to God for the demonstration of transparency in the court ruling. I am so glad. It’s like tears of joy. It is a big [proud moment] for the women of Liberia to get a second female senator in the 54th Legislature. I believe that it is not only a proud [moment], but it is bringing more steps to the women of Liberia, that we will not be afraid of men this time around; that we are facing the challenge and we are ready to challenge the men”.
Meanwhile, a gender based group, Political Conscious Women of Liberia said, it received the news of the planned certification of Madam Kanneh development, something it said will go a long way to inspire other females who are intending to go into active politics in the country.
We have long been waiting for this day, the day and moment for victory to speak for the womenfolk in this country. We have long been marginalized politically and we will take this as a stepping stone to get better. We will take it as a lesson to inspire us to challenge the men. We will speak out for the affirmative action to take root in this country”, the group said in a release signed by its executive director, Madam Janet Gbormie.
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