Probe into the citizenship status of Liberian President's son

Photo: FrontPage Africa

Robert Sirleaf, one of the sons of the President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

The National Elections Commission (NEC) has ordered an inquiry into an allegation that Robert Sirleaf voted in the November 4, 2014, mid-term senatorial election in the United States of America, which if true might disqualify him from contesting the December 16, special senatorial election here in Liberia.
Mr. Robert Sirleaf is a senatorial candidate for Montserrado County and a son of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. He recently filed a lawsuit against his mother's executive order #65, which is yet to be decided upon by the Supreme Court of Liberia.


NEC had received the complaint from lawyers representing two political parties, Movement for Progress Change (MPC) and the National Democratic Coalition (NDC), Counselors Laveli Supuwood and Lofer Kaneah, respectively, that they have documentary evidence that Robert voted in the democratic primary in North Caroline on May, 4 2014, in the USA.
They also allege that Mr. Sirleaf never applied in America for the revocation of his U.S. citizenship.
The parties were among several individuals and civil society groups that resisted NEC and the government's handling of the December 16 special senatorial election, on which the Supreme Court's Justice in Chambers has placed a stay order.
In response to Robert's citizenship issue, NEC Chairman Jerome G. Korkoya, has written to one of the Counselors, Kaneah, stating that "in keeping with the practice of the Commission and due to the seriousness of the matter raised in your letter under reply, I have referred your complaint to the Independent Hearing Officer, Attorney Muana Ville for investigation.
"Attorney Ville will cite the parties for a hearing as soon as he returns from his tour of the Southeast where he is conducting training for hearing officers in the special senatorial election," the NEC response read.
In conclusion, the communication said, "I want to thank you for brining the matter to the attention of the Commission and to encourage you not to relent in alerting the Commission on any violation of the laws governing the electoral process."