Just days before Liberia’s crucial October 10 presidential and legislative elections, some youths and candidates have strongly echoed calls for peaceful elections.
In the Goba Town hall in Todee District outside Monrovia, there was an outpouring of caution that 12 years of uninterrupted peace in Liberia could be seriously threatened by elections violence. The caution comes in the wake of reports of sporadic violent clashes among supporters of rival parties in around the country that have led to some serious injuries.
“Violence is not good! Let us keep violence far away from us and peacefully discuss the issues,” said Goba Town youth leader, Peter Folley during the second in a series of dialogue forums jointly held by the LMDI and PTMG with support from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to promote peaceful elections.
Last Saturday’s forum was also attended by many young people as well by two representative candidate as well as local chiefs and elders of District No 1 Montserrado County, where Todee District is situated.
During the nearly two-hour interactive session, Goba Town youth leader, Folley and other young people passionately spoke of the dangers of electoral violence and how it can destroy the future of the youths and retard national development.
Both the youths and legislative candidates shared their perspectives on some of the things that can trigger election violence. They cited tearing of posters and banners of political competitors, spewing of insults and hate speech, etc.
They also underscored the enormous sacrifices and contributions ECOWAS, ECOMOG and the international community have made in helping to bring peace to Liberia, warning that nothing should be done to reverse the gains made so far.
The youths, who included motorcycle riders, traders as well as male and female political activists also frankly exchanged views with the two representative candidates on matters affecting Montserrado County District No 1 and safeguards against elections skirmishes.
In a recent interview with www.newspublictrust.com , the ECOWAS Ambassador to Liberia, H.E. Tunde Ajisomo assured Liberians that the sub-region would remain fully engaged and supportive to ensure a transparent, credible and peaceful election in this country.
ECOWAS first intervened to help end Liberia’s long years of civil war in 1990 with the deployment of the Peace Monitoring Group (ECOMOG). That created the space for the facilitation of ceasefire and peace talks leading to the end of the first civil war in 1997 with the holding of elections.
But a second civil war that later broke out in 1999, again led to the deployment in Liberia of the ECOMIL interposition force in 2003 that softened the ground. Later, ECOMIL was transformed into what is today called the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). The core of that sub-regional force replaced their green helmet with the UN blue helmet. It was then followed by post war elections in 2005, which has led to 12 years of sustained peace.
At the Goba town nonviolent elections forum, Rep candidate Emmanuel Yakpazuah of the ALL LIBERIAN PARTY (ALP), who is making his third attempt to be elected to the legislature, urged young people and other voters across Liberia to stand up to politicians and tell them the truth that election violence is wrong.
“Elections campaign is a battle of ideas, not cutlasses (machetes), not stones, not sticks, be peaceful and don’t fight,” Ykpazuah cautioned.
Another candidate, Lawrence Morris warned that elections violence would jeopardize the hopes and future of Liberia’s youths. He advised them against being quick to get angry and haul Insults at their political opponents.
Morris, an Independent candidate, called on the youths not to listen to politicians and others who would mislead them to engage in any form of violence in the run up to the upcoming elections and thereafter.
The DIALOGUE forums are being broadcast weekly on the LMDI partner Network of 45 National and Rural Community radios across Liberia.