-As Gov’t, International Partners Tour Its Headquarters Renovation Works
By Jerromie S. Walters
Monrovia: A major renovation project at the headquarters of the National Elections Commission (NEC) in Sinkor is progressing rapidly, with a high-level tour on Thursday, March 12, 2026, showcasing the extensive upgrades now underway. The Board of Commissioners led a delegation of senior government officials and members of the diplomatic corps on an inspection of the works, which carries a price tag of US$1,135,628 (One million, one hundred thirty-five thousand, six hundred twenty-eight United States dollars).
The tour revealed significant transformation across the entire compound. The administrative building is receiving a complete overhaul, including a brand-new roof. The conference hall and warehouse are being fully refurbished, while new structures, such as three additional security booths, are being constructed. The project also includes concreting the entire compound layout to improve accessibility and durability.
In a special statement following the tour, Madam Davidetta Browne Lansanah, Chairperson of the National Elections Commission (NEC), disclosed that the renovation is in the financial sum of $US1,135,628, 83. She lauded the government of Liberia for making the funding available for the renovation works.
According to her, the project met the needed requirements, from the Public Procurement and Concession Commission (PPCC), the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Finance, and the General Service Agency.
The contract was signed by the Minister of Justice and Finance. She described it as the first massive renovation for the commission, acknowledging that previous arrangements were made for renovation at the Commission and its 19 magisterial courts. “We are very happy today to have reached this point where the NEC is now really visible,” she said. Madam Lansanah also appreciated the NEC local and international partners for their support to the Commission over the years.
At the same time, Madam Davidetta Browne Lansanah disclosed her resignation as Chairperson of the National Elections Commission (NEC), which she says will take effect on March 15, 2026. However, this comes as a surprise as Madam Browne-Lansanah was appointed Chairperson of the Elections Commission by former President George Manneh Weah on April 10, 2020, and her tenure was expected to run until 2027.
For his part, Liberia’s Justice Minister, Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh, described the initiative as a “massive” one and anticipates that it will help the productivity of the work that the Commission does. From the onset of just seeing the work from outside of the Commission’s compound, he noted his belief that it was just a minor initiative but admitted that the entire view he saw from within impressed him.
He congratulated the commissioners and stressed the need for having a conducive working environment and he believes that an unconducive environment hampers productivity. From her end, UN Resident Coordinator Christine N. Umutoni described the initiative not just as an infrastructure but as a means of strengthening democracy. “We don’t see this simply as an infrastructure. We see it from a bigger picture of keeping a democracy in Liberia,” she said.
The National Elections Commission (NEC) of Liberia is an autonomous public body responsible for supervising and conducting all national elections within the Republic. It is responsible for organizing presidential, legislative, and local by-elections, managing the national voter roll, including transitions to Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) technology to enhance credibility, enforcing election laws, adjudicating initial electoral complaints before they can be appealed to the Supreme Court, and conducting reviews of electoral boundary delimitation to ensure fair representation.
