West Africa: Ecowas Statement on the Eve of the 8 November Presidential Run-Off Election in Liberia

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
5 November 2011
Economic Community of West African States (Abuja)
document

Abuja — The attention of the ECOWAS Commission has been drawn to an undated press statement titled "CDC Final Position on the holding of electionson November 8, 2011" and issued on 4 November 2011 by Ambassador Winston Tubman, standard bearer of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), in the aftermath of a meeting held a day earlier in Abuja with H.E. Goodluck Jonathan, President of Nigeria and Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority.

In the statement, Ambassador Tubman informs about the withdrawal of CDC from the 8 November 2011 Presidential run-off election and calls on CDC followers and Liberians in general to stay away from the poll, citing 'unaddressed CDC complaints about voting irregularities' in the course of the first round of the election that took place on 11 October 2011. The ECOWAS Commission regards this statement as unfortunate, as it is intended to undermine the election and the democratic process that Liberians are striving hard to consolidate. It also goes against the grain of the discussions that Ambassador Tubman held with the Chairman of the Authority.

In that meeting, the Chairman advised the CDC leadership against boycotting the remainder of the electoral process, and impressed upon them that it was too late in the day, and quite against the relevant ECOWAS Protocols, for the CDC to demand changes that would require a consensual constitutional process of amending relevant electoral laws. Subsequently, the Chairman strongly urged Ambassador Tubman and all Liberians to endeavor to fully participate in the run-off in order to ensure a credible outcome and assist in the consolidation of democratic culture in the country.

In the light of the foregoing, the ECOWAS Commission deeply regrets the retrogressive tone of Ambassador Tubman's statement, which seeks to disrupt the concluding phase of the 2011 Presidential election. The Commission wishes, therefore, to reiterate that, for its part, provided the preparations and conduct of the second round of the presidential election are adjudged by the competent authorities and endorsed by credible observers to be in accordance with the electoral laws of Liberia, the Community will proceed to recognize the verdict of the Liberian people.

The Commission would further like to seize this occasion to launch a final appeal to the CDC, and indeed all Liberian stakeholders, not to miss this historic opportunity of consolidating democracy and peace in the country, and to actively participate in the 8 November poll. They are equally urged to refrain from all unconstitutional practices that may mar the concluding phase of the electoral process. The Commission wishes once more to caution that political leaders and  any individual or group of persons adjudged to be instigating their fellow citizens to violence will be held individually and collectively accountable for their actions.

H.E. James Victor Gbeho, President of the Commission

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