Published: November 6, 2024
Monrovia – Over 200 workers of the National Elections Commission (NEC) staged a major protest at the Commission’s headquarters in Monrovia, demanding Chairperson Davidetta Browne-Lansanah settle their 12 months of unpaid insurance benefits and salary arrears.
The group of workers gathered outside the Commission with placards reading, “Audit the NEC,” “We need benefits for the eleven employees that died during the elections,” and “Technicians are being mistreated,” among other slogans. They also chanted against alleged mistreatment by Madam Lansanah.
In a three-point petition, NEC Workforce head Rennie B. Gleegbar called on the Chairperson of the Board of Commissioners (BOC) to immediately form a committee to determine payment of six months of hazard allowances and insurance benefits, prioritizing a budget transfer of the declared remaining funds.
“Following the work of the joint team and/or committee, such work should be reviewed by the BOC, in line with Section 2.4 of the New Elections Law (NEL),” Gleegbar stated.
He also urged the NEC team to include funds for administrative costs in the Budget Transfer Proposal to address urgent needs, such as fuel, unsanitary conditions at headquarters and regional offices, and repairs for staff buses and assigned vehicles.
Gleegbar recalled that Chairperson Lansanah previously proposed a team of commissioners and technicians to work with the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning after Finance Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan committed to sending a team to help decide budget transfer items.
The spokesperson for the protesting workers noted that, during a general meeting on October 24, 2024, Madam Lansanah admitted that, due to inactivity among other BOC members, she alone undertook the budget transfer of the remaining funds and submitted it to the Ministry of Finance without explicit BOC approval, as required under Section 2.4.
Gleegbar emphasized that the successful conduct of the 2023 elections was due to the dedication and sacrifice of both the BOC and NEC workforce, and noted the remaining budget funds amount to 8 million U.S. dollars.
He indicated that the NEC workforce is resolved to continue their peaceful protest until their demands are met.
Meanwhile, General Service Agency (GSA) Director-General Josiah F. Joekai, Jr., intervened at the protest, urging the workers to stand down. “I want to work with your leadership to address all your concerns,” he said.
Joekai characterized the workers’ grievances as a national emergency, given their crucial role in conducting the 2023 presidential and legislative elections.
“I don’t believe that workers who served diligently for their rightful benefits deserve this treatment,” he emphasized, pledging to communicate with the Finance Minister and NEC officials to address the election workers’ concerns.
In response to the claims of six months of unpaid salary arrears, Madam Lansanah clarified in a press conference on Tuesday that all employees were paid their arrears, contrary to the workers’ claims. “As it stands, the government of Liberia, through the NEC, does not owe any staff because the payments approved in the 2023 budget have been disbursed.”
Addressing the $8 million surplus, Madam Lansanah explained that the funds were leftover from the election budget, and some NEC staff demanded that it be distributed among employees. She stressed that such action would violate the Public Financial Management Law (PFML). “I rejected their demand, despite the protests, and we returned the money to the Ministry.”
The NEC Chairperson expressed support for calls to audit the Commission, emphasizing her commitment to transparency. “I have always welcomed an audit because it aligns with best practices.”
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