Monrovia — In an effort to foster greater political accountability and transparency in Liberia's electoral processes, Integrity Watch Liberia (IWL) has officially launched the "Strengthening Political Accountability Project" (SPAP). The ambitious project, which spans 15 counties of the country, aims to enhance compliance and enforcement of campaign finance regulations, creating a level playing field and equal opportunities for all candidates. The project will run for a duration of seven months, from June 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023, with an estimated total cost of US$251,370.46.
The overall objective of the SPAP is to bolster the compliance and enforcement of campaign finance frameworks in Liberia. By doing so, the project aims to promote transparency, accountability, and fair competition among contestants during electoral campaigns. To achieve this overarching goal, the SPAP has outlined specific objectives and activities.
The specific objectives of the SPAP include:
1. Enhancing political party financial compliance in Liberia.
2. Strengthening Civil Society and Media oversight of Liberia's democratic institutions and processes, particularly focusing on political and campaign finance expenditure oversight.
To realize these objectives, the SPAP has developed an extensive array of project activities, some of which include:
Objective 1: Enhancing political party financial compliance in Liberia
· Organizing a formal project launch with the National Elections Commission (NEC) and involving various stakeholders such as CSOs, media, development partners, and government agencies to raise project visibility.
· Developing indicators to track political party compliance with the NEC Campaign Financing Regulations of 2023.
· Conducting capacity-building workshops for NEC-registered political parties and independent candidates on how to comply with NEC Campaign Financing Framework and Regulations.
· Creating information, education, and communication materials, including radio jingles, animated flyers, and SMS blasts, to raise awareness on campaign finance regulations.
· Establishing a digital online platform for CSOs to monitor and report on political party compliance and finance expenditures with near-real-time data streaming.
Objective 2: Strengthening Civil Society and Media oversight of Liberia democratic institutions and processes
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· Conducting a mapping of CSOs and media entities involved in elections and democratic governance to identify organizations and journalists for training to monitor political and campaign finance frameworks.
· Developing an oversight strategy for CSOs and media to enhance accountability of democratic institutions through oversight of campaign frameworks and expenditures.
· Organizing regional workshops to train CSOs and media on campaign financing oversight strategies and monitoring procedures.
· Providing sub-grants to selected CSOs to ensure effective oversight of campaign and political finance, particularly in reporting cases of voter bribery.
· Conducting a lessons-learned conference with stakeholders to review and document project outcomes and challenges for future improvements.
The Strengthening Political Accountability Project represents a crucial step towards promoting transparency and accountability in Liberia's political landscape. By actively involving political parties, civil society, media, and other stakeholders, the SPAP seeks to create a more equitable and transparent electoral process for the country. As the project unfolds over the next seven months, its impact will be closely monitored to assess the success of its objectives and the potential for future replication or expansion.
