Int’l Community Eyes 2023 Elections -As UN West Africa Office Visits NEC

MONROVIA – On the cusp of the 2023 presidential and general elections in Liberia, the United Nations, through its West Africa and Sahel Office has rekindled its interest in ensuring that the pending Liberia presidential and general elections are held under a free, fair and transparent environment that would enhance the peacebuilding and democratic process.

According to the National Elections Commission of Liberia, the Chairperson of the NEC, Madam Davidetta Browne Lansanah, on Monday, 26 September 2022 welcomed the Political Affairs Officer of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Madam Israa Hamad, who briefed Madam Lansanah and NEC technicians about her familiarization mission with key national stakeholders on the current situation in Liberia.

The UNOWAS Political Affairs Officer said the maintenance of peace and stability in Liberia was of concern to UNOWAS and that UNOWAS is interested in ensuring the 2023 election is conducted peacefully. She noted that, while UNOWAS is not an enforcer of peace, UNOWAS works to ensure the maintenance of peace through diplomacy.

The Chairperson of NEC, Madam Davidetta Browne Lansanah, welcoming the UNOWAS official to the NEC, underscored the importance of such a mission in a politically-charged environment leading up to the conduct of the Presidential and Legislative 2023 elections in Liberia, stressing the key role of the NEC in the maintenance of peace and stability in Liberia.

Meanwhile, the All Liberia Conference on Dual Citizenship (ALCOD) paid a visit to the NEC Boss and Legal Section on 27 September 2022. Represented by Mr. Alfred Sieh, Chairman of the out of County Voting Committee (OCVC), and Reverend Michael Sherman of the Liberia Association of Ghana (LAG), the group informed NEC that it was on mission to inform the NEC about their preparedness to support the work of the Commission to ensure Diaspora Voting in the 2023 General Elections.

The NEC Boss welcomed the LAG delegation to the Commission and expressed the hope that Diaspora Liberians would attain their voting rights, but noted however, that the conclusion of the Electoral Reform Process would determine what additional mandates may need to put into effect for Diaspora voting in Liberia. 

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