AU, ECOWAS Observers Proffer Solutions To Liberia’s Electoral Challenges

African Union Election African (AUEOM) and the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS Union Election Observation Mission to the Liberia Presidential and Parliamentary Elections, yesterday, released preliminary reports on the conduct of the exercise.

The continental and regional observation missions in their separate statements proffer solutions to the challenges noted from the election held on Tuesday.

AUEOM in a statement signed by the Head of Mission and former vice president of the Republic of South Africa, Phumzile Gloria Mlambo-Ngcuka noted that Liberians were able to freely exercise their constitutional rights in peaceful elections.

It said for Liberia to continue to improve its electoral processes, the executive arm of government should work with the legislature to develop a special act to disband all militant groups in its entirety, and criminalise the formation, use, affiliation and support to militant groups and individuals.

The mission also tasked the Liberian government to ensure that any amendments to the New Elections Law are done on time so that they could be implemented in future elections.

It called for the strengthening of Liberia’s policies and legal framework that address the challenge of under-representation, participation and inclusion of women, youth and PWDs in politics.

It advised the National Elections Commission of Liberia to: “Strengthen the public relations and communications strategies to make it more vibrant to be able to relate to current trends of information dissemination and public engagements.

“Move to the next stage of the BVR where the technology will not only be used to register voters, but also to verify voters on Election Day.”

It asked political parties to continue to abide by the commitments they have made in the Revised Farmington River Declaration in the post-election period and beyond.

AUEOM further urged political parties to use the existing elections dispute resolution mechanisms to address grievances, and to do so within the provided timeframes and conditions.

The Mission equally enjoined the Liberia National Police to investigate and prosecute all perpetrators of the violence that occurred during the elections.

It called on Civil Society Organisations to continue to initiate programmes in the post-election environment that promote good governance, improve democratic practices and nation building, and the media to develop strong regulatory mechanisms and raise ethical media standards and professionalism to reduce political capture.

The AUEOM implored all aggrieved parties to use the existing elections dispute resolution mechanisms to address their grievances, and to do so within the provided timeframe and conditions.

Similarly, the ECOWAS Mission in a statement signed by its Head and a former Chairman of the Nigerian Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega noted the challenges associated with infrastructure and their impact on the smooth conduct of the elections.

It urged the government to put in measures to ameliorate the infrastructure conditions of the country and the National Parliament and other critical stakeholders to consider the review of the relevant portions of the Constitution and the electoral law to allow for national elections to be held on dates during the dry season.

The Mission observed that the polling process generally proceeded smoothly and in a largely peaceful atmosphere, and eligible voters were able to freely participate in the process, even though the long queues, congestion at the voting precincts and the slow pace of the process led to some grumbling and agitations by voters.