The National Commission on Disability had disclosed that the 2023 presidential and legislative election lacks freedom, transparency and fairness as it was believed to be.
Speaking at the ongoing dialogue on the participation of persons with disabilities in the elections in Liberia, the Executive Director of National Commission on Disability Mr. Samuel S. Dean observed that the 2023 general election was not free, fair and transparent in context of the free participation, especially of those living with disabilities.
Taking a critical analysis on rights including for persons with disabilities in 2023, in terms of accessibility, reasonable accommodation and voice accountability, he said the National Election did not provide the necessary conditions for those with disabilities to freely participate in the election and exercise their franchise.
Mr. Samuel S. Dean said while it is true that former President Weah conceded defeat, acknowledging that the elections were free, fair, transparent and peaceful, in the disabled perspective it was not so, because there were no ballot papers that could allow the visually impaired person to independently make their own decision.
He also said most of the voting or polling places were not disabled friendly, depriving most of the physically challenged persons to be left out.
He stated that NEC in all its Gender Policy claimed that there were over 12,000 persons with disabilities voted in the 2023 elections, something he critiques, saying how it cannot be possible because the election survey questionnaires only talked about Gender and not disability.
In an overview, Atty. Roosevelt Gongon Jayjay, representing the United Nations Office of the High Commission of Human Rights, said the dialogue informed participants that the engagement stems from the Peacebuilding Fund election project.
"This initiative aims to promote peaceful electoral environments before, during, and after elections by implementing conflict prevention strategies and mitigating the risks of insecurity, human rights violations, and electoral violence," he said.
Reflecting on Liberia's 2023 legislative and presidential elections, Atty. Jayjay noted that while the elections were widely praised for being peaceful, transparent, free, and fair, certain concerns emerged; a notable critique, concerning the limited participation of persons with disabilities, both voter and candidate was highlighted.
"Observations from international missions, including the United Nations, identified this as a critical issue that must be addressed for future elections," he said.
Liberia ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2012, and the country has a National Commission on Disabilities.
Despite these frameworks, it is believed that many PWDs encountered significant barriers in exercising their voting rights during the 2023 elections.
While it is true or correct that the National Election Commission (NEC) established measures or regulations to ensure accessibility and provide assistance to PWDs, these measures or regulations appeared to be some inconsistency that were applied.
Based upon those gaps or inconsistencies, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN-OHCHR) report, published in August 2024, underscored the urgency of enhancing support and accessibility for PWDs in future electoral processes.
However, Atty. Jayjay further explained that the primary objective of the ongoing dialogues is to collaborate with the National Commission on Disabilities and other relevant stakeholders to address these issues and promote greater inclusion of people with disabilities in future elections.
"The discussions aim to review the OHCHR's findings on People With Disabilities participation in the 2023 General Elections and Presidential run-off, gather diverse perspectives from the disabled community on their electoral experience, and identify strategies for positive change," he said.
"Ultimately", he said, "the goal is to develop clear recommendations for both the government and international partners to improve the participation of persons with disabilities in Liberia's electoral processes going forward."
Meanwhile, the head of the National Commission on Disability is calling for an enforceable disability legislation and representation in the National Legislature.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
"That way," he exclaimed, "we will be able to push for equity from the top."
"Nobody will champion that all selected polling stations are retrofitted for reasonable accommodation and an enabling environment before the 2029 election and beyond better than us," he said.
"Nobody will insist on compulsory tactile ballots being present at polling places better than us and nobody will champion voice and accountability for disabled and other marginalized groups better, because there's nothing about us without us," he added.
The occasion was attended by scores of persons with disabilities, representing various groups, including the National Union Organization on Disability, the Group of 77, UNHCR, the INCHR and among others.
Peter Flomo, President of NUOD is calling on the Unity Party led Government of Amb. Joseph Boakai to give greater emphasis on the disabled community by allocating budget in the national budget to enhance their functions.
