The head of the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa International Election Observation Mission (EISA-IEOM) has called on stakeholders, supporters, security personnel, and the media to sustain peace and await the tallying process and the final announcement of results.
EISA-IEOM Head of team and former Vice President of Zambia, Dr. Nevers Mumba, told a news conference in Monrovia that the team acknowledges the peaceful and enthusiastic participation of Liberians in the electoral process, though with a few exceptions.
"The National Elections Commission (NEC) discharged its responsibilities with diligence, often under difficult conditions, and EISA's observers expressed confidence in the conduct of National Elections Commission staff. However, with a few exceptions, voting proceeded without interruption throughout the day, and voters freely expressed their choice," Dr. Mumba said.
Mumba said EISA aims to support the integrity of the 2023 Liberia presidential and legislative elections by assessing and reporting on all aspects of the electoral process.
Mumba said EISA also observed the presence of citizen observers in 56% of polling places counted; most polling places closed on time; and all voters who were in the queue at the time of closing were allowed to cast their votes before counting procedures began.
He said there is a need to explore the possibility of legally moving Election Day to a time frame that does not coincide with the rainy season, reducing logistical challenges and risks while facilitating voter participation. Additionally, Dr. Mumba calls for enforcing the rules in the election law by prosecuting offenses such as voter trucking.
Recommendations to the NEC
Mumba calls on the National Elections Commission to strengthen public communications with an emphasis on key processes, making it more proactive, timely, and precise, and to collaborate with civil society organizations to improve the conduct of civic and voter education.
"Replicate the Inter-Party Consultative Committee (IPCC) meetings at the county level as an alternative means of improving knowledge of electoral laws and processes. Increase the number of voting booths in the polling places to expedite the voting process and improve the habitability of polling places considering size and ventilation," he added.
Commenting on political parties, Dr. Mumba calls on them to commit to the principles of the Revised Farmington River Declaration, take a leading role as advocates for peace, and strategically deploy party agents so that there are no more than two party agents from the same party in one polling place.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
He, however, calls on the media to prioritize professional training, especially in conflict-sensitive election reporting, to manage tensions and incidents of violence and establish a media monitoring and regulation mechanism to combat misinformation.
He calls on joint security to prioritize the deployment of security officers to polling precincts with higher numbers of registered voters.
Mumba calls on the government to promulgate into law provisions on compulsory gender quotas for female candidates in line with Liberia's international commitment to affirmative action.
EISA Mission's assessment of the electoral process is based on the principles and obligations for democratic elections stipulated in the African Union (AU) Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections; the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG); the Principles for Election Management, Monitoring and Observation (PEMMO); and the legal framework for elections in Liberia.
EISA's observation methodology is guided by the Declaration of Principles for International Observation (DoP) and its attendant code of conduct for observers.
