Liberia to conduct senatorial election amid Ebola scare

MONROVIA - Liberia's National Election Commission (NEC) on Monday announced plans to conduct the Special Senatorial election on Dec 16, 2014 despite growing concerns Ebola may still pose havoc at that time.

The West African country's electoral body said it acted on outcome of a series of consultative meetings with candidates and other stakeholders as requested by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf when she suspended the holding of the Oct 14 election because of Ebola.

Spokesperson for the commission Joel Kennedy told reporters in Monrovia on Monday that the Dec 16 date is subject to approval by the legislature.

Kennedy said the legislature last week informed the NEC to conduct the Special Senatorial election no later than Dec 20, 2014.

Meanwhile, NEC has qualified 139 candidates who have met all stipulated requirement set by the commission.

Kennedy said Montserrado County, where Liberia's political and commercial capital Monrovia is located, has the most candidates of 11 including football star George Manneh Weah of the Congress for Democratic Change and Roberts Sirleaf, the son of President Sirleaf.

Gender imbalance is still huge in the Liberian political setting as out of the 139 candidates contesting for the senate, only 20 are females.

Kennedy said there are 46 independent candidates contesting for a place in the senate.