-Ahead of tomorrow’s election
By: G Bennie Bravo Johnson I
As Liberians go to the polls on tomorrow, November 14, 2023, to determine who heads the nation for the next six years, the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa International Election Observation Mission (EISA-IEOM) on Saturday, November 11, 2023, dispatched eighteen short-term Observers to observe the runoff election.
The deployment of the short term observers mission is headed by His Excellency Dr. Nevers Mumba, former Vice President of the Republic of Zambia and deputised by EISA Executive Director, Mr Baidessou Soukolgue and supported by a technical team of nine experts.
During the deployment ceremony, EISA Executive Director, Mr Baidessou Soukolgue lauded Liberians for the austerity exhibited during the October 10 general elections.
He stated that Liberian demonstrates maturity during the elections and said mature political civility proves that Liberia democracy is getting stronger by the day.
Meanwhile, the EISA Executive Director revealed that the new short term observers will join together with 12 Long-term Observers long term observers who were deployed since April and July 2023 to observe the first round of voting in eleven of Liberia’s fifteen counties in October 2023 to observe the Run-Off elections.
Executive Director Baidessou Soukolgue in his deliberation numerated the counties in which the observers are going to be focused, counted Bomi, Bong, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Montserrado,
Margibi, Lofa, Nimba, Maryland, and River Gee.
Meanwhile, he added that the total of thirty EISA observers will observe the campaigns, final deployment of voting materials, the voting day procedures, including the opening and closing of polls, the counting processes at polling stations and result management processes in the respective counties.
In furtherance, he said that EISA’s assessment of the elections in Liberia is consistent with the legal framework in the country, and regional and international standards for elections and democracy. He stated that the frameworks include
the Constitution of Liberia, the Elections Law of Liberia, the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance, and the Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections
in Africa.
In furtherance, he revealed that during the conductivity of their duties, they will be guided by the principles of neutrality, impartiality, objectivity and independence. As they are in Liberia in the capacity as an organisation, and their assessment will be on their own and not that of any group or political party.
“In conducting our duties, we will be guided by the principles of neutrality, impartiality, objectivity and independence. As we are here in our capacity as an organisation, our assessment will be our own and not that of any group or political party.”
He added that EISA-IEOM will issue an interim statement on its preliminary findings at a press conference on 16 November 2023. A final report will then be prepared and shared with relevant stakeholders
and made publicly available. He further stated that the short-term mission will remain in Monrovia until 18 November 2023.
The USAID-funded EISA International Election Observation Mission (EISA-IEOM) Activity seeks to enhance the integrity of the 2023 Liberia Presidential and Legislative elections through the deployment of an independent international
election observer mission (EOM) to monitor, assess and report on all phases of the electoral process by international and regional benchmarks.
The IEOM is implemented in close coordination with the financial support of USAID/Liberia and will complement the efforts of other
electoral stakeholders.
