By: G Bennie Bravo Johnson I

The Women’s Situation Room of the Angie Brooks International Centre (ABIC) for Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security have lauded outgoing president George Weah  for the timing of his concession speech. WSR says the outgoing President’s speech stabilized the peace in Liberia and the entire West African sub region.

“Furthermore, the WSR also appreciated H.E President George Manneh Weah for the timing of his concession speech. His speech actually stabilized the peace in Liberia and the entire West African sub region.

Delivering the findings of the WSR on the just ended general elections and the presidential runoff election, the Women Situation Room through its initiator, Cllr. Dr. Yvette Cheeson-Wureh, Monday, November 20, 2023, acknowledged the action taken by the President, adding that it is commendable, and shows statesmanship and is worthy of emulation. 

She anticipates that the example shown by the President will be replicated by other African leaders in the pursuance of peace and tranquility. The WSR further applaud Liberians for the resolute commitment to a peaceful democratic electoral process, in which they exercised their constitutional rights during these elections. 

At the same time, she congratulates Ambassador Joseph Nyumah Boakai for his victory in the just ended Presidential election. “Above all, we applaud the Liberian people for their resolute commitment to a peaceful democratic electoral process in our country and for exercising their constitutional rights during these elections.

The WSR congratulates the President elect, Ambassador Joseph Nyumah Boakai for his victory in the just ended Presidential elections.”

Meanwhile, Cllr. Dr. Yvette Cheeson-Wureh revealed that the the Women Situation Room report uncovered challenges during the period of the elections which the WSR believed could have disrupted the peace and plunged the whole country into complete chaos.

“At the same time, the WSR have seen the challenges during the period of the elections which she believed could have disrupted the peace and plunged the whole country into complete chaos.we have gathered information from the social media, our call centers, some of our Eminent Women, guests to the Situation Room, and our observers in the field on some of the issues to be mentioned as follows:” Cllr. Dr. Yvette Cheeson-Wureh stated

Amongst the challenges, they named the assassination attempt on the lives of Senators Prince Y. Johnson and Jeremiah Koung in Nimba County, leaving 11 persons wounded including Senator Johnson’s daughter.

-​Rep. Acarous Gray allegedly paraded Monrovia and its environs with a group of men in black, intimidating voters with physical violence at every polling station they visited.

-​Rep. Yekeh Korlubah complained of being tailed by officers of the Executive Protective Service (EPS) and some unmarked vehicles that attacked them and seized five of their motorcycles, a pickup, and five of his followers. 

-​The reported stuffing of ballot papers in Grand Kru and Grand Gedeh Counties.

-​At the Ford-Madden Christian Academy on Old Road, it was reported to our call center that a voter was issued a pre-marked ballot paper.

-​In District #10 of Montserrado County, it was reported that ballot boxes were being transported in an unmarked vehicle at night without security escorts.

-​It was also reported that UP Partisans were distributing campaign materials in Grand Kru during the run-off.

The WSR adds that all of these actions were in violation of the Farmington Declaration signed by all of the presidential candidates. The initiator of the WSR continued by stating that during the October 10 elections, the call centers of the situation room located both in Monrovia and Bong County recorded sixty-six (66) incidents of electoral irregularities. 

With the Runoff on  November 14 recording twenty-one (21) incidents of electoral irregularities, Cllr. Dr. Cheeson-Wureh stated that the report from the runoff show a decrease of forty-five (45) incidents of electoral irregularities.

In furtherance, the Coordinator of ABIC Cllr. Yvette Cheeson-Wureh, revealed that prior to the run-off, the WSR was involved with a series of activities to provide awareness on the electoral process via voters’ education which was done through they described as “Talking Bus” engagements in parts of Montserrado, Bong, Nimba, and Grand Bassa counties.

She reported that there were engagements with thousands of disadvantaged youths at the New Georgia Junction on the Japan Freeway, formerly called Somalia Drive as well as Gurley Street, Montserrado County. She says their activities  continuedwith peer-to-peer engagements by the WSR youth with the disadvantaged youth, and also a 100 motorcyclists Peace Ride where the leaders of 40,000 motorcyclists pledged their support for peace to the WSR. 

The report cited that  youth room of the WSR were involved most effective during the electoral process. stating that they made strategic interventions when violence was about to erupt on many occasions. As part of its effort to sustain the peace, the Women’s Situation Room (WSR) revealed that on November 16, 2023, she invited the youth leaders of both the UP and the CDC to a meeting in the situation room where they were afforded the opportunity to express their views and make recommendations that would promote peace and stability. 

WSR says the youths from both the CDC and the UP expressed views were helpful to the way forward for peace in Liberia. Meanwhile, the WSR rendered appreciation to the European Union Liberia (EU), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Embassy of Sweden, Irish Aid, ECOWAS, and Orange Liberia for the support in the discharge of their undertaking during the elections.

“We want to appreciate our donors the European Union Liberia (EU), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Embassy of Sweden, Irish Aid, ECOWAS, and Orange Liberia. 

The WSR wishes to acknowledge and thank Eminent Women from Sister African Countries of Ghana, Nigeria, Lesotho, Uganda, and Kenya.”

In conclusion, the WSR recommends six counts recommendations which seek to enhance sustainable peace and security. Noticable amongst the counts, the WSR recommends an election for the commissioner of the National Elections Commission. They also want electoral disputes be adjudicated by an independent body. They also want the registration and administration of political parties and candidates should be done by a separate body.

“Based on the foregoing and our aspirations for Liberia, the Women’s Situation Room wishes to advance the following recommendations: That the Board of Commissioners of NEC be elected in order to ensure neutrality and independence. That the structure of NEC be revisited and restructured as follows:

-The​ Board of Commissioners is responsible to conduct only elections and other administrative affairs.

-​That electoral disputes are adjudicated by an independent body.

-​Registration and administration of political parties and candidates should be done by a separate body.”

The WSR further recommended that elections should be conducted in the Dry Season and that Civic Education in elections is included in Senior High School Curriculum. They want the time period for releasing elections results should be reduced from 15 days to 7 days.

The WSR is a women’s peace-building mechanism for the mitigation of conflict before, during and after elections in African countries. 

It mobilizes women in collaboration with youth to lobby and advocate stakeholders to support the call for peaceful elections. It is a non-partisan and neutral process that was initiated by the women of Liberia in 2011 with technical support from the Angie Brooks International Centre (ABIC) for Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security. 

The mechanism of the WSR has been acknowledged by the African Union and the UN Security Council as a best practice in peace and security for replication in Africa.