Protecting Their Votes Against Rigging -Opposition Political Parties Commit on 9-Count Action Plan

MONROVIA: As the countdown draws nearer to the holding of general and presidential elections on October 10, 2023, a group of opposition political parties on Monday, August 28, 2023 signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) committing themselves to take nine core actions that will prevent vote rigging and protect opposition votes, while ensuring that there is cooperation and engagement amongst opposition political parties.

According to the terms and condition of the MOU, the cooperating opposition political parties have  agreed to jointly training of poll watchers, deploy an independent poll watching team, ensure a united opposition presence at polling stations, ensure that there is cooperation to support opposition candidates where parties do not have candidates, and establish an independent war room that receives votes from polling centers across the country including the development of software that will track elections results electronically.

The cooperating political parties also agreed to establish a joint secretariat to ensure drafting of agreements, independently track, document and report violence against opposition and ensure a dossier is maintained with evidence. The group also agreed to jointly engage the international community on security and other related issues for the October 10 elections, and agreed to work together and jointly position themselves in the event of a run-off election.

Signatories to the landmark MOU include Madam Sara Beysolow Nyanti, Standard Bearer of the African Liberation League (ALL); Mr. Alexander B. Cummings, Standard Bearer of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP); Mr. David GB Kiamu, Standard Bearer Democratic People’s Party of Liberia (DPPL); Mr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe, Standard Bearer Liberian People’s Party (LPP); Mr. Allen A. Brown, Jr., Standard Bearer Liberia Restoration Party (LRP) and Madam MacDella Cooper, Standard Bearer of the Movement for One Liberia (MOL).

Rev Luther Tarpeh, National Chairman of the opposition Unity Party, represented Ambassador Joseph Nyuma Boakai at the signing ceremony.

The signing of a new MOU amongst cooperating opposition political parties comes in the wake of mounting concerns that the ruling party might resort to vote rigging if the results don’t go their way.