NEC Commissioner Thrown Out of House Hearing Over ‘Disrespect’ as National Identification Card Delays, Stirs Condemnation

Monrovia, Liberia: Concern continues to mount at the Capitol over delays in issuing the National Identification Card to Liberians, as lawmakers Thursday took a firm stance against what they termed “administrative disrespect” from the National Elections Commission.

Tension flared in the chambers of the House of Representatives on Thursday June 19, 2025 when NEC Commissioner, Ernestine Morgan-Awar, appeared to represent the Commission in place of the Chairperson. 

But instead of addressing lawmakers, the commissioner was ordered out of the session, an action that followed a unanimous decision by the full plenary, citing gross disrespect and violation of the House's administrative protocols.

The NEC was among several government institutions summoned by the House to explain the snail-paced progress of the National Identification Registry exercise an initiative critical to national documentation and electoral processes.

Lawmakers became visibly upset when it was revealed that the Chairperson of the NEC had delegated her Personal Administrative Assistant to write the House, citing illness as the reason for her absence and naming Commissioner Morgan-Awar as her proxy.

Representative Moimah Briggs Mensah of District #6 Bong County had earlier commented on the matter emphasizing that the slow implementation of the National ID program in 2025 has caused enormous setbacks for citizens who rely on the ID for banking, voting registration, and job applications.

The lawmakers argued that the communication should have come directly from the Chairperson herself and not through an assistant, describing the move as a breach of legislative protocol.