Liberian opposition hails referendum flop

MONROVIA (AFP) - Liberian opposition parties on Thursday hailed voters' rejection of proposed constitutional changes in a referendum, which they had boycotted.

The referendum had sought to change four laws, but failed to achieve the required two-thirds of votes cast in a poll in which only 34 percent of registered voters showed up and many ballots were invalid.

"We want to commend those who boycotted, those who voted 'No' to protect the constitution," said Acarous Gray, secretary general of the main opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC).

The CDC had called for a boycott of the referendum, saying it was unconstitutional, a waste of resources and too close to the upcoming election, which will be the second post-war presidential vote in the country.

Cecelia Ndebe, the presidential candidate of the Liberia Reconstruction Party, founded in 2010, said the result was a victory for the opposition.

"We feel that the money was wasted but the Liberian people taught a lesson that the referendum was untimely and unconstitutional and they rejected it and we are very happy for this," she told AFP.

One of the clauses the government wanted changed would have seen elections moved to November, but the presidential and legislative polls will go ahead on October 11, in the middle of the rainy season, which observers have warned could be a logistical nightmare.

The referendum also failed to shorten from 10 to five consecutive years the amount of time that presidential and vice-presidential candidates would be required to have lived in Liberia.

The existing clause was suspended in 2005 elections as most candidates had just recently returned from post-war exile.

Critics said the change would have benefitted President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who, like many other main candidates, has not lived in the country for ten years.

However the constitution does not specify whether the 10 years have to be consecutive or not.

"No one has been disqualified by the results of the just ended referendum," said National Elections Commission spokesman Bobby Livingstone.

"We released the list of eligible candidates before the referendum results were announced. If anyone has a problem with any of those contesting because they have not met some constitutional requirements and have probable cause to prove, they should seek legal recourse at the court."

He said the rejection of the referendum would in no way affect the holding of elections in October.

Also rejected was an attempt to change the retirement age of Supreme Court judges, and having public officers elected in a single round in local and legislative polls.

Liberia is still recovering from successive civil wars which destroyed its economy and infrastructure and left some 150,000 dead between 1989 and 2003.