And Strengthen Electoral Integrity In Liberia
PHOTO: Sara Beysolow Nyanti, African Liberation League presidential candidate
MONROVIA, Liberia – Ahead of the expected presidential run-off election in Liberia, Reverend Sara Beysolow Nyanti, the standard bearer of the African Liberation League (ALL) is calling for strengthening of the country’s electoral process and protecting the votes in the pending second round of polls.
Rev. Beysolow, one of the two female candidates in the just ended October 10 presidential election and former UN Under Secretary General, has issued the following statement ahead of the runoff election.
SEE STATEMENT BELOW
Rev. Sara Beysolow Nyanti Calls for Strengthened Electoral Integrity By Protecting the Votes for the Run-Off Elections
MONROVIA, Liberia – October 23, 2023 – Reverend Sara Beysolow Nyanti, the esteemed standard bearer of the African Liberation League (ALL), is taking a proactive stance in galvanizing political parties to work together to ensure that Liberia’s upcoming run-off elections on November 7th are peaceful and characterized by transparency, and integrity.
is taking a proactive stance in galvanizing political parties to work together to ensure that Liberia’s upcoming run-off elections on November 7th are peaceful and characterized by transparency, and integrity.
It can be recalled that Nyanti initiated the MoU to Protect and Safeguard the votes of the Liberian people. That MoU which was signed on August 28, 2023 had 9 points of agreement including the need for joint poll watching and data collation and analysis. This in her view would be critical for increasing voters’ confidence. Noting the high number of invalid votes and numerous irregularities, she believes that the protect the votes effort is needed in Round 2 as much as they were in Round 1.
To this end, Rev. Nyanti has met opposition parties that signed the MoU, interested non-signatories, as well as the political leaders and key actors of the two parties who are heading into the second round of the presidential elections, CDC and Unity Party. Rev. Nyanti met both parties with other opposition leaders who are supporting the protect the vote movement.
“The heart of democracy lies in the sanctity and accuracy of the voting process. Every Liberian deserves the assurance that their vote, their voice, is counted without compromise,” Nyanti commented. This is about the rights of Liberians to choose their leader. This is a human rights agenda, and all of us need to work together to ensure that we build voters’ confidence in our electoral processes and systems, something that is critical for sustainable peace and development.
Nyanti’s engagements in the coming days will be with NEC, the ECC, the Women
Situation Room as well as the international community. She stresses that the more we work to prevent voter apathy, discontent and frustrations, the more we will be working to prevent any potential conflict during and after Round 2.
She restates her recommendations to NEC to urgently convene all candidates to discuss lessons learned from Round 1 that will improve the implementation of Round 2, as well as ensuring that a full systems and performance audit of the 2023 elections is conducted to inform electoral reforms.
As Liberia prepares for the critical run-off elections, Rev. Sara Beysolow Nyanti’s unwavering commitment to electoral integrity and human rights as well as unity of the Liberian people serves as a beacon of hope. Her continuous efforts, both nationally and internationally, underscore the importance of safeguarding the democratic process for the future of Liberia.
Signed:
Rev. Sara Beysolow Nyanti