Urge Voters To Verify Information
By J. Peter S. Dennis, dennisrealone@gmail.com
GBARNGA, Liberia- The impact of disinformation during campaign seriously affects elections outcome, as Liberian citizens want electorates verify information of the social media.
Disinformation, another form of information disorder, is a false information intended to deliberately deceive or mislead individuals. The deliberate spread of such news or information can have serious and far-reaching consequences as it erodes trust in institutions, the media, politicians and electorates.
A campaign where there are lots of information disorder (disinformation), it leads to a breakdown in social cohesion and makes it harder for electorates to make informed decisions even on voting day.
Edward Tamba of Gbenequelleh, Seanzue clan, electoral district two says disinformation can amplify existing divisions within society thus creating polarized opinions and attitudes. “This can lead to increased conflict or electoral violence” he sexpressed.
Louise Flomo, 23, of Totota, Salala District believes “a campaign or an election mirred by disinformation, can cause people to believe things that are not true as it will undermine the democratic processes and lead to the spread of harmful ideologies”.
Some instances cited
A day to the Unity Party September 17, 2023 campaign rally held at the ATS in Monrovia, a release dated September 16 under the name of Amos Tweh- UP’s Secretary General wasnclaiming cancellation of the rally on September 17. The communication was not signed either.
Mr. Tweh, like other UP’s executives, denied any cancellation or knowing the origin of the communication as it was seen on social media (facebook). The program was held the next day.
Also on September 13, 2023 while President George Manneh Weah was having several political engagements across Bong County, two young people dropped from a branded CDC pickup.
While they were taken to hospital, social media, particularly facebook, was flooded with their death news. Others claim they were sacrificed while others wrote “Rest In Peace”.
The party’s executives including Sayblee Weyea thrashed their death news. The family of the two victims identified as Francis and Williams described as “a broad day lie” their sons death.
Currently, they have recovered and returned to their families.
In addition to that on August 25, 2023, facebook was flooded with information alleging that the NEC board of commissioners has ignored the recruitment procedures which called for the online application of Liberians and subequent vetting/selection by a team but has dispatched special recruitment teams in Lofa, rural Montserrado and Nimba counties to do a new recruitment and select their own workers who are believed to be Cdcians”.
The post further alleges that, “This scheme is intended to recruit Cdcians to occupy key positions as presiding officers, identification officers, ballot paper issuers, and queue controllers”.
But on August 27, 2023 The NEC, on its facebook page, in no uncertain terms, categorically denied these allegations. “This story has no basis in fact; it is false and a dangerous attempt to undermine the electoral process and expose the Commission to disrepute and endanger members of its Board of Commissioners and staff”.
Prior to that, the NEC attention was also drawn to several social media posts involving “one of its packup vehicles parked on a public street next to what appears to be a person up a ladder either mounting or taking down something that appears to be a poster”.
The commission says after internal review, no person in the depicted photo is associated with the commission. An independent fact checking entity, ILAB fact checked and found it false as reported.
These, like others unreported, can instigate violence and lead to harmful campaigns.
Citizens’ reactions
Philip Mulbah, a classroom teacher in Gbarnga stressed that “if a disinformation campaign is successful, thousands or even millions of people believe in a false reality. Such lies can turn deadly or threaten the stability of society”.
Patience Hall, a first time voter in Zowienta, Kpaai district thinks “fake information destroys any electoral process while urging electorates to verify information”.
The Catholic Justice and Peace Commission (JPC) regional coordinator in Mr. George Philip Mulbah admonished both politicians and supporters to desist from lies as it’s undermining.
“Counter check every information on the social media before running with it. If possible, visit the National Elections Commission web page or its office to avoid it” Philip added.
Rate of disinformation in the world
Over the years, fake social accounts and hired trolls is growing. Many electorates are being swaded due to the high illiteracy rate in Liberia.
UNESCO in 2022 estimated the literacy rate of Liberia at 48.3% with an adult literacy especially in rural areas at 34%.
A 2019 research conducted by researchers at Oxford University says, at least 70 countries have had disinformation campaigns.
Some of the countries include: Zimbabwe, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Vietnam, Guatemala, Ethiopia, China, United States of America and Saudi Arabia.
The report also noted that facebook remains the No. 1 social network for disinformation. Organized propaganda campaigns were found on the platform in 56 countries.
The report was published by the News York Times on September 26, 2019.
In February 2023, the Guardian announced that a team of Israeli contractors who claim to have manipulated more than 30 elections around the world using hacking, sabotage and automated disinformation on social media has been exposed in a new investigation.
The unit is run by Tal Hanan, a 50-year-old former Israeli special forces operative who now works privately using the pseudonym “Jorge” and appears to have been working under the radar in elections in various countries for more than two decades.