Paynesville — As the curtains fall on the election campaign activities, Naymote Partners for Democratic Development has unveiled its latest campaign promise tracking report, in anticipation of the upcoming presidential election scheduled for Tuesday.
The report encompasses promises made during the period from August 5 to October 5, 2023. Naymote said it has monitored and documented a total of 665 campaign promises, drawing from political party manifestos, speeches at rallies, debates, media interactions, town hall meetings, social media posts, and other sources.
Out of the 20 political parties and independent candidates vying for the presidency, Naymote said it has received manifestos from six political parties, including the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), Unity Party (UP), Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), Liberian National Union (LINU), African Liberation League (ALL), and Liberian People Party (LPP).
According to Naymote's Executive Director, Eddie Jarwolo, the majority of these promises revolve around key areas such as the economy, healthcare, education, agriculture, climate change, decentralization, local governance, tourism, women's empowerment, infrastructure development, and youth empowerment, among others.
Jarwolo highlighted some of the notable commitments, including the establishment of food production zones (agro-economic zones) across all 15 counties, the creation of a national student loan program for tertiary institutions, the generation of 100,000 new jobs annually for Liberians, the establishment of a food processing center in Bong County, the formation of a National Tourism and Culture Authority (NTCA), and the creation of 10,000 jobs through a new national rice policy.
Additionally, political parties have pledged to launch a $20 million empowerment fund to support women and youth-owned businesses, increase primary school enrollment by 20%, and reduce the number of out-of-school children by 40% during their first term. They also plan to develop curricula for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions that align with the skills needed by concessionaires and other industries.
Jarwolo emphasized that these efforts are integral to the President Meter Project, an initiative aimed at fostering political accountability, shaping public policy, and stimulating discussions among citizens and stakeholders. The project aims to hold elected officials accountable for fulfilling campaign promises while enhancing the social contract between these officials and the electorate.
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For the past six years, Naymote has monitored and tracked President George Weah's performance in fulfilling the promises he made during and after the 2017 elections. Jarwolo noted that these reports have played a pivotal role in promoting public accountability and facilitating constructive dialogues between citizens and the government. As a testament to their impact, political parties and civil society organizations consistently refer to the President Meter Report as a crucial reference document for assessing the Weah administration's performance, he noted.
"The institution believes that tracking the campaign promises of presidential candidates and monitoring political parties throughout elections are essential for sustaining the foundations of democracy, ensuring fair competition ideas, and protecting the integrity of electoral processes," Jarwolo said.
In a candid reflection, Jarwolo expressed appreciation for a campaign that emphasized issues and the development of manifestos. However, he lamented the reluctance of many candidates to engage in political debates, preferring to speak at rallies with limited reference to their written manifestos. Furthermore, Jarwolo noted that these manifestos were often not readily accessible to the public and were not published on official party websites. This posed a challenge for Naymote in accessing the manifestos of other parties participating in the presidential election.
Naymote concluded by announcing its intention to kick off official activities for the President Meter Project in January 2024, which will include the tracking of the promises made by the eventual winner of the 2023 Presidential Election.
