-In Controversial Reassignments of Staff Members at NEC
MONROVIA, Liberia – The National Elections Commission (NEC) is reportedly facing growing internal discord following a series of alleged administrative reassignments, entirely demotions of old staff members ordered by Chairperson Jonathan K. Weedor, and Co-Chairperson Cllr. P. Teplah Reeves with staff alleging the moves may constitute a purge of employees perceived to have supported the Commission’s previous leadership.
Mr. Weedor, nominated by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr. on March 30, 2026, initially served as Acting Chairperson before receiving Senate confirmation on June 9, 2026. He assumed the post following the resignation of his predecessor, Madam Davidetta Browne-Lansanah. Since taking office, Mr. Weedor and Co-Chairperson Cllr. P. Teplah Reeves have implemented personnel changes affecting multiple senior staff members, according to sources within the Commission.
Those affected by the reassignments include Ignatius Wisseh, reportedly moved from Deputy Executive Director for Programs to Deputy Director for Monitoring and Evaluation; Cllr. Teage Jalloh, shifted from Senior Legal Counsel to Deputy Hearing Officer; Pauline Kawreh, transferred from Director of Human Resources to Deputy Director of Records; Beatrice Jlopkeh, reassigned from Special Assistant to the Chairperson to Deputy Director of Communications; and Emmanuel Hare, moved from Administrative Assistant to the Chairman to Logistics Officer.
Sources allege the personnel changes were approved through internal administrative communications endorsed by the NEC Chairman and supported by the Co-Chairperson and two other Commissioners, without the input of the remaining three Commissioners.
Some employees have expressed concern that the actions may be inconsistent with provisions of the New Elections Law, the NEC Human Resource Manual, existing labor regulations, and principles of Liberia’s Decent Work framework, though the Commission has not publicly addressed these allegations.
Co-Chairperson Reeves, who sources say previously organized staff strikes and protests against the former Chairperson, is alleged to have fueled divisions within the Commission through her stance toward employees perceived to have supported the previous administration.
A statement attributed to the Co-Chairperson, which could not be independently verified, reportedly declared: “I will ensure that all staff who supported former Chairperson Lansanah are removed from their positions. I will use the current Chairman to achieve my mission. I have always wanted to become Chairperson, so I fought the former Chairperson and forced her to resign, and now they have brought in another person.”
The reported developments have created uncertainty among staff and raised questions about employee morale, institutional stability, and cohesion within the Commission, according to sources. Some employees have expressed fears that the reassignments may disproportionately affect individuals perceived to have been aligned with the Commission’s previous leadership.
Sources further claim that additional personnel actions could be implemented in the coming weeks. The appointment of Mr. Weedor was widely viewed as an opportunity to strengthen unity, professionalism, and institutional neutrality within the Commission. However, reports of internal disagreements among senior officials continue to prove the opposite.
Efforts to obtain comments from the Commission were unsuccessful, as officials declined to respond to inquiries. NEC officials have not publicly commented on the allegations, and the Commission has yet to explain the rationale behind the recent reassignments as of the time of this publication.
