In The Wake Of President-Elect Boakai’s Victory
PHOTO: Eddie Jarwolo, Naymote Executive Director
Naymote Partners for Democratic Development has presented a report on the tracking of campaign promises during the 2023 Liberian presidential election, as part of the institution’s democracy advancement program.
The institution meticulously monitored and documented 93 promises made by the Unity Party, led by President-elect Joseph Nyumah Boakai, Sr., who secured victory with 50.64%, as announced by the National Elections Commission., says the report issued in Monrovia today, Thursday, November 30, 2023.
These promises were derived from the Unity Party’s manifesto, campaign rallies, media engagements, and public statements. The manifesto outlined six pillars, each encompassing specific commitments aimed at Liberia’s development.
Pillar One: Macroeconomic Stability and Infrastructural Development A total of fifty eight (58) promises were identified and documented under this pillar. These promises spanned economic aspects (8 promises), financial management (10 promises), agriculture (12 promises), natural resource management (3 promises), job creation (6 promises), commerce and industry (2 promises), infrastructure development (5 promises), transportation (4 promises), information communication technology (ICT) (3 promises), and culture and tourism (5 promises).
Pillar Two: Health, WASH, the Environment & Climate Change Under this pillar, nine (9) promises were tracked, focusing on health (6 promises), Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (1 promise), and environment and climate change (2 promises).
Pillar Three: Human Capacity Development Seven (7) promises were documented under this pillar, with primary focus on education.
Pillar Four: Governance and Rule of Law This pillar has seven (7) promises, emphasizing foreign relations (1 promise), security (1 promise), rule of law (1 promise), accountability (2 promises), governance and transparency (2 promises), and reconciliation (1 promise).
Pillar Five: Gender, Youth, Children and Social Protection Eight (8) promises were tracked and documented, with focus on gender (1 promise), social protection (2 promises), and youth empowerment (5 promises).
Pillar Six: Fight Against Corruption Four (4) promises were documented under this pillar.
Among the multitude of promises tracked, notable commitments include the reform of tax administration policies, targeted fiscal incentives for agriculture and light manufacturing, implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA), introduction of a program budgeting system, and the roadmap for the de-dollarization of the Liberian economy, Asset Declaration of the President and all those appointed, Audit outgoing government officials, etc.
Election promises, forming a social contract between voters and candidates, obligate President-Elect Joseph N. Boakai, Sr. to fulfil the commitments made during the campaign. Post-inauguration in January 2024, Naymote will commence tracking the government’s performance against these promises for the next six years. The Unity Party developed several action points and strategies to implement the promises.
We invite citizens, civil society organizations, and the media to actively participate in this initiative. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that political campaign promises translate into tangible actions that positively impact the lives of the Liberian people.