PHOTO: President Weah, political party leaders & distinguished personalities pose for picture following the signing of the agreement
By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has strongly warned that it has “zero tolerance on violence” and that perpetrators of violence will be identified and be punished in accordance with the laws including laws laid down by the region.
The warning was given on Tuesday, April 4, 2023 by the President of ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, as nearly 30 Liberian political parties including President George Manneh Weah’s CDC signed the Farmington Agreement committing themselves to peaceful 2023 presidential and legislative elections.
The Agreement was signed at the Farmington Hotel near the Roberts International Airport.
ECOWAS Commission’s President Touray said the regional body it will be monitoring the entire process leading to holding of the presidential and legislative elections and it will not hesitate in dealing with individuals who with anyone who will engage in violence in the country.
Dr. Touray gave the warning when he made a special statement at the signing of the Farmington Declaration by registered political parties in Harbel, Margibi County.
The Farmington Peace Pledge obligates the signatories, political parties, their leaders and supporters to uphold principles of peaceful elections and respect for the rule of the law.
The declaration was signed and witnessed Miss Giovanie Biha, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel and Dr. Omar Alieu Toutay, President of the ECOWAS Commission.
FLASHBACK: Recent pre-elections violence in Montserrado County District #10
The signing of the declaration was organized under the auspices of the National Elections Commission, the Economic Community of West African States and the United Nations.
According the President of the ECOWAS Commission, the next phase on Liberia’s democratic journey has brought country to a cross road either to consolidate the peace or to retrogress in to chaos and unrest.
“There are two key features that are important to note in the conduct of the upcoming election because it is the first time in using biometric voter registration,” he said; adding: “ the essence of the BVR is to ensure that Liberia surmount the complex election challenges because it reduces identity theft, multiple voting and voters’ fraud.”
“Secondly,” he went on, it helps mitigate the risk of distorting the choice of the people because without a credible roll, the system will be taking the right of the people to elect their choices.”
According to the ECOWAS Commission President, the conduct of the presidential and legislative elections without the presence of international peace keeping force provide the excellent opportunity for Liberia to take full charge and ownership of the process
Dr. Touray made it unequivocally clear that the 2023 presidential and legislative elections will be a key test for the capacity of the National Elections Commission to manage elections.
“Elections continue to trigger conflict in the sub-region and as a result ECOWAS will keenly remain to monitor member-states that will be conducting elections.”
“The West African regional organization will also continue to support these processes in order to save guard these elections and ECOWAS will not hesitate to raise the red flag as well as apportioning to hold stakeholders in to save guard the integrity of these elections,”
“It is in this regard,” he went on, “ we urge the government, political parties and the National Elections Commission as well as all key stakeholder to strictly adhere to the ECOWAS protocol on democracy and good governance.”
“In other words, they must ensure that peace and security under pin the actions of each and everyone including utterances because in these time when some countries in our region are undergoing transition, ECOWAS remains consistence in our position on zero tolerance on unconstitutional change of government.”
“For ECOWAS, unconstitutional governments do not only military takeover of governance but equally government that temper with the electoral process that affects the choice of the people.”
According to him, in addition to the support, ECOWAS will be deploying short, medium and long time observers in Liberia and they will continue to report on feedback on their observations in order to enhance free, fair and transparent elections.
“ECOWAS has zero tolerance for violence and all perpetrators will be identified and punished in accordance with the law including the laws of the region.”
“As we follow the biometric voter registration exercise, reports of voter trucking and some incidents of violence in some quarters have come to the attention”
“Political parties must recalled that they have collectively reviewed and validated the Farmington Declaration, , that laid down the penalties for fragrant violation of the elections laws.”
“Bad language, misinformation and disinformation, , inciting words and actions, as well as other infringement of electoral laws must seize now and the code of conduct that governs political parties and their partisans must be fully adhere to.”
“Not only in words, but it must the moral conduct and guards the actions and utterances of political actors.”
He cautioned NEC to be firmed in applying the rules and regulations , be firm in applying sanctions and be guarded by the laws able the commission as a neutral electoral authority.
“Remember that your role is pivotal to the peace in the country and sub region and the security institutions must continue to exhibit professionalism and neutrality by protecting all Liberians.”
He called on the security forces to work cooperatively with all stakeholders and protect the electoral materials because securing of the electoral process is a matter of national interest.
Ex-VP Boakai claims opposition parties victims of violence
Speaking on behalf of political parties, former Vice President Joseph Boakai, who is also the standard bearer of the Unity Party, said “since the inception of the leadership by President Weah , we have witnessed several by-elections that have been marred by violence .”
According to him, while on the campaign launch on November 17, 2018, the UP ‘s candidate in the Bi-elections to replace then Representative Saah Joseph,in District 13, Montserrado County, Colonia Kruah-Togba, was violently attacked by men believed to be supporters believed to partisans of the CDC.
Similarly, on August 17, 2019, the Talia Urey’s campaign in the Montserrado County District bi-election to replace Adolf Lawrence, was attacked by opposing side.
The 2020 senatorial election in Gbarpolu County was marred by violence and it has been a common practice not to investigate electoral violence.
“No investigation was commissioned in any of these violent incidents and we were all led and served under the umbrella of impunity,” he said; adding: “we still have the perpetrators roaming freely in the streets and waiting to commit other future violence once the order is given.”
“We want to remind the NEC that the mere absence of violence is not the only requirement for satisfactory election because there are other cardinal ingredients, that when are not considered and implemented there will high probabilities of not having violence free elections.”
“Government does not care about reform in the election and it is also critical to mention the role of the judiciary and it responsibility to speedily and lawfully handle electoral disputes to ensure peaceful resolution of cases coming from elections.
Commenting on the current BVR, the former Vice President said a transparent biometric voter registration is one of the issues that can spark violence.
According to him, it has been observed that the registration is characterized by problems including the frequent offing of the printers at the voter registration centers, shortage of cards at several voter registration centers
“We have seen financially induced voters trucking and these have been observed in Montserrado County District tenth and in Grand Cape Mount County involving Idrisa Massarey who is said to be trucking Sierra Leoneans resulting into violence between those who are for trucking and others who are against it.”
He called on the National Elections Commission to consider extending the biometric voter registration exercise in the first six counties.
Pres. Weah urges Liberians to work together for peace
For his part, President George Weah called on Liberians to work collectively for peace regardless of their political diversities in order to deliver a credible, peaceful and transparent elections
“History has taught us that the possibility of post election countries to retrogress to war is very high but Liberia is a post conflict success story.”
According to him, the signing of the Farmington Declaration is another milestone to be admired and celebrated because it marks 20 of uninterrupted peace since the signing of the Accra Peace Accord.
The Liberian leader condemned those he termed wishing to take the country to the dark days in the Liberian history.
For her part, the Chairperson of the National Election Commission , David Etta Brown-Lansanah, thanked the political parties and the international partners for making the signing of the Farmington Declaration by political parties a success.