Monrovia — Leonardo Santos Simão, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), has called on the candidates who participated in Liberia's recent general elections to exercise patience while awaiting the announcement of results by the National Elections Commission (NEC).

Mr. Simão's visited Liberia from October 9 to 12 and met with various stakeholders, including political parties, independent candidates, NEC officials, and civil society groups in the context of the October 10 general elections.

In a statement issued after his visit to Liberia, Envoy Simão extended his congratulations to the Liberian people for the peaceful and transparent conduct of the general election held on October 10, 2023. He also commended the NEC and the joint security forces for their professionalism in overseeing the elections.

Furthermore, Mr. Simão acknowledged the significant participation of enthusiastic and patriotic young men and women on polling day and called for continued engagement of youth and women in the political processes in Liberia.

"As the counting and tallying of the results continues, Mr. Simão calls upon political actors to uphold their commitment to peaceful elections under the Farmington River Declaration. In particular, the Special Representative urges all candidates to be patient and let the Electoral Commission conduct the electoral process in full compliance with the Constitution and laws in force in Liberia and to resolve any dispute through the established legal channels," the statement said.

Mr. Simão equally urged the National Elections Commission to maintain the same level of professionalism and transparency in the tallying process. He invited Liberians to persist in their efforts to strengthen democracy through credible, inclusive, and peaceful electoral processes in the country.

Liberia's October 10 presidential and legislative elections marked the fourth consecutive polls since the end of the civil war. In contrast to the last three elections, this year's polls were entirely conducted and safeguarded by the Liberian government through the National Elections Commission and the Joint Security.