-Boakai SNUBS Public Opinion
Many Liberians least expected that President Joseph Nyumah Boakai, Sr. would have named Jonathan K. Weedor as the new chairman of the National Elections Commission, NEC, amidst widespread speculations and guesses that the President would have either named former Justice Minister, Cllr. Gloria Musu Scott, former defense Minister, Brownie Samukai or current Civil Service Director General, Josiah Jokai, as the possible successor of Davidetta Brown-Lassana, who recently relinquished the post.
A onetime commissioner on the board of commissioners of the national electoral body, the name Jonathan Weedor came as a surprise as the speculations and guesses at no time mentioned his name.
Mr. Weedor, an Executive Mansion statement said, brings extensive experience in electoral administration, governance and public service.
Weedor previously served as a commissioner of the NEC , 2004 to 2020 when he oversaw key departments, including human resources, finance, and procurement.
He also served as acting co-chairman at the electoral body, playing a significant role in strengthening the management and credibility of Liberia’s electoral processes.
At the international level, Mr. Weedor participated in several electoral missions across Africa, including assignments in Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria.
His experience further includes election observation and assessment missions conducted under the auspices of the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Education
The newly nominated chairman of the National Elections Commission holds a Master of Arts degree with honors in Development Studies, with a concentration in Development Management, from the School for International Training in Vermont, United States. He also earned a Bachelor of Science degree with honors in General Forestry from the University of Liberia.
Senate’s Confirmation
President Boakai, the Executive Mansion statement said, has, pending Senate’s confirmation, asked Mr. Weedor to serve as Acting Chairman of the NEC until the Senate reconvenes from its current recess.
The President, according to the EM statement, has expressed confidence in Mr. Weedor’s competence, integrity, and professionalism, noting that his leadership is expected to uphold the principles of transparency, independence, and credibility in the conduct of elections in Liberia.
Public Reaction
Meanwhile, President Boakai’s latest nomination at the Elections Commission has sparked off debate in many quarters, as critics say the decision could undermine Liberia’s fragile democratic credibility ahead of future elections.
According to his profile, President Boakai’s nominee to the National Electoral Commission is a veteran electoral administrator of over sixteen years of experience at the NEC.
Among those fiercely critical of the President’s nomination is Patrick M’bayo, who is asking the Liberian leader to with immediate effect, withdraw Mr. Weedor’s nomination, warning that Liberia “cannot afford a partisan elections chairperson.”
M’bayo said Weedor’s nomination to the NEC is a dangerous precedence, adding that electoral crises often begin not at the ballot box, but at the level of institutional control.
