Liberia: 2023 Biometric VR in Limbo - Liberian Daily Observer

With hardly 7 weeks to the scheduled commencement of elector registration for the 2023 statesmanlike and legislative elections, the National Elections Commission (NEC) has yet to person the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC) to o.k. the NEC chairperson’s preferred bidder to supply the system. 

The existent stalemate betwixt the NEC and the PPCC implicit the associated task led by Chinese steadfast EKEMP, means the NEC is moving retired of clip to fulfill its mandate to behaviour a credible biometric elector registration exercise, which is expected to commencement connected December 15, according to the updated elections timetable released by the electoral body. 

Since the PPCC rejected the electoral body's petition for a 'no objection' to grant the EKEMP associated task the declaration for the proviso of biometric predetermination materials, NEC continues to anticipation that PPCC volition alteration its mind.

“The Inability of the NEC’s recommended bidder Ekemp/Palm Insurance /INITS (J.V) to people the PVC paper connected the spot arsenic required by the NEC, and wrong time, showed uncertainty connected the usage of its Equipment and raises doubts connected the effectual workability arsenic required for the issuance of a printed PVC paper to a registrant during the Voter Registration period,” the  PPCC Executive Director, Atty. Jargbe Kowo, said successful a  reply to the NEC request. 

Kowo added, “That a worldly nonaccomplishment successful the functionality of a bidder’s biometric instrumentality that is required to people a registrant elector paper connected spot, indispensable beryllium taken into superior information by the NEC, the State’s Elections Management Body; for specified could beryllium a Potential High Risk for the upcoming First Biometric Voter Registration Exercise for Liberia, that is covering the state successful its entirety.”

According to Kowo, the electoral assemblage should instantly instrumentality to rapidly examining the remaining bids successful bid to prime a campaigner who is susceptible of doing the required work. It is unclear, however, if the NEC Board of Commissioners intends to enactment connected the PPCC connection and erstwhile this volition occur.

Ignoring the malfunctioning and nonaccomplishment successful a biometric instrumentality functionality to readily people the PVC card, connected the spot arsenic required is simply a large anomaly,” Kowo said. 

“As specified the NEC should not person deemed EKEMP arsenic the astir responsive institution for this declaration package,” the PPCC brag noted. 

The NEC re-selection of EKEMP associated task comes arsenic the Chairperson of the electoral body,  Davidetta Browne Lansanah,  has been accused of unilaterally reselecting EKEMP arsenic the preferred vendor to supply biometric instrumentality for the 2023 elector registration workout and the ensuing elections. 

Lansanah has been accused by immoderate of the NEC Commissioners, who spoke to the Daily Observer connected information of anonymity past week, that she was proceeding with the determination without their consent. The New Elections Law by which the Commission operates is disrespected successful galore ways, astir each of the time, by the NEC Chairperson, who is lone designated arsenic a spokesperson, they said.

“We are shocked. This is becoming earnestly embarrassing. Some of america don’t cognize wherefore lone this EKEMP, adjacent erstwhile the institution flopped the different time successful their re-demonstration process. The nationalist indispensable cognize that the determination is Lansanah’s [personal] decision.”

Section 2.10 of “The New Election Law” grants the NEC chairperson the authorization to “be the authoritative spokesperson; preside implicit each meetings of predetermination contests and controls, supervise and nonstop the administrative cognition of the bureau of the Commission and, successful consultation with the Commissioners, instrumentality specified corrective administrative measures for the creaseless and effectual cognition of the Commission.”

But, according to immoderate of the Commissioners, consultations to get astatine large decisions specified arsenic awarding contracts are usually “done by Lansanah and her preferred confidantes.”

The associated task comprising EKEMP, INITS, and Palm Insurance, was among 5 different companies, including HID Global and PSI, Laxton and its section spouse arsenic good arsenic Network Solutions and Waymark & Mwetana, each of who participated successful the archetypal objection process. EKEMP won the bid, according to the NEC, and a “no objection” petition was submitted connected August 30, which was the first. 

However, the petition was rejected on Sept. 9 by the PPCC connected grounds that that inactive photos submitted by the NEC were not capable grounds to grant the associated task the cardinal dollars contract. The PPCC, portion objecting to the request, excoriated the NEC for claiming that EKEMP and its associated task partners met each of its bid requirements erstwhile the information speaks contrary. 

PPCC noted that from the reappraisal of the NEC’s request, it observed that nary of the electoral body’s bid valuation sheet successful its entirety watched the bid demonstrations exercise, arsenic determination is nary impervious showing a afloat study of the objection process,” Kowo said successful a Sept. 9 missive to the NEC chairperson explaining the crushed down the rejection.  “The NEC should enactment that the photos submission cannot bash justness to depicting the carnal demonstrations, for they are inactive and static illustrations that cannot rightly seizure the motions of the enrolment and deduplication process.”

“A precise cardinal relation of the Commission nether its anterior reappraisal mandates is to authenticate that the bidding processes conducted are done successful enactment with applicable procedures, fairly, transparently; and that bidders are treated equitably successful presumption of reappraisal and scrutiny,” Kowo added.

A telephone for a video-recorded re-evaluation was past issued by PPCC and NEC accepted to bash so, aft the Senate had besides reviewed the findings and listened to some PPCC and NEC. 

In the video-recorded re-demonstration process, EKEMP failed to people successful the allotted clip a illustration biometric elector ID paper with each the required information features. They yet printed, but lone aft the clip had elapsed and the observers had left.

EKEMP past wrote the procurement valuation committee, complaining that they were not treated reasonably arsenic different companies since different companies were not asked to bash immoderate PowerPoint presentation. The NEC did not look into the lawsuit erstwhile EKEMP went to the Supreme Court and filed a Writ of Prohibition connected the full procurement process.

The Court nevertheless threw the lawsuit retired and asked EKEMP to instrumentality to NEC and exhaust the disposable remedies the Commission has.