IN THE HONORABLE SUPREME COURT OF THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA
SITTING IN ITS MARCH TERM, A. D. 2017
BEFORE HIS HONOR: FRANCIS S. KORKPOR, SR......................CHIEF JUSTICE
BEFORE HIS HONOR: KABINEH M. JA'NEH....................... ASSOCIATE JUSTICE
BEFORE HER HONOR: JAMESETTA H. WOLOKOLIE............ASSOCIATE JUSTICE
BEFORE HIS HONOR: PHILIP A. Z. BANKS, III...................ASSOCIATE JUSTICE
BEFORE HIS HONOR: SIE-A-NYENE G. YUOH.......................ASSOCIATE JUSTICE
Harrison S. Karnwea & Liberty Party………APPELLANTS )
)
VERSUS
)
The National Elections Commission (NEC), represented )
by and thru its Chairman, Cllr. Jerome G. Korkorya, and )
all Officers of NEC, all of the City of Monrovia, County )
of Montserrado, Republic of Liberia……………APPELLEE )
)
Heard: July 13, 2017.
Appeal from the
Decision of the
National Elections
Commission,
Barring Harrison S.
Karnwea From
Contesting for the
Ensuing Elections
Decided: July 20, 2017.
Counsellors Powo C. Hilton, D. Onesimus Barwon and James G. Innis, Jr.
of Brumskine and Associates Law Firm appeared for the appellants.
Counsellor Joseph N. Blidi, In-House Counsel for the National Elections
Commission, and Counsellors Frank Musa Dean and C. Alexander B. Zoe,
appeared for the appellee.
MR. JUSTICE BANKS delivered the Opinion of the Court.
This case is the second in a series of cases filed before the Supreme
Court for review of decisions of the National Elections Commission denying
the applications of aspirants seeking certification, as required by law, to
contest elective public offices in the October 2017 Presidential and General
Elections. Those elections, by the command and mandate of the Constitution
(1986), are scheduled to be held on the second Tuesday in October, same
being October 10, 2017. By the command of the Constitution also, the
National Elections Commission is vested with the power and the
responsibility to determine whether a person seeking elective public office
has met the constitutional and statutory requirements to be eligible to
contest for a particular elective public office in order that his or her name is
placed on the ballot to be voted on by the people of Liberia or of the
particular constituency the aspirant seeks to represent in the Legislature or
other body subject to election by the people. In the previous case, Abu Bana