By Our Staff Writer
International partners in Liberia, including the United State, European Union, the United Nations, AU and ECOWAS have given a vote of confidence in the credibility of the recent Lofa County By-election, describing the polls as “mainly free, fair and transparent”.
The thumbs up given by the international community to the June 28 Lofa By-election follows a categorical rejection of the election results by the main opposition and former ruling Unity Party of ex-Vice President Joseph Boakai.
NEC declared and certificated CDC-backed Independent candidate, Cllr. Joseph Kpator Jallah winner of the election, defeating the UP’s candidate Galakpai Kortimai and four other contenders.
On July 5, 2022, the UP in a press statement read by Mr. Boakai accused the NEC of engaging in “election malpractices”.
Threatening then to take legal action, the UP said: “We declare that the conduct of the senatorial elections was marred by many irregularities. Some of these were outright illegal actions that impacted the results.” Boakai’s UP Alleges “Election Malpractices”, Challenges Lofa By-Election Results – News Public Trust
Also, another Liberian opposition party, the National Democratic Coalition (NDC) recently claimed that the election was rigged in a statement widely reported, saying that it “strongly considers said election as rigged, condemns the NEC-manipulated results, and calls for a re-run of the by-elections in order to respect the democratic rights of the people of Lofa.” Opposition NDC Claims Lofa By-Election Was Rigged, Calls For Re-run – News Public Trust
But in a joint statement issued in Monrovia today, Friday, July 22, 2022, the international community commended the National Elections Commission (NEC) and the Liberian government “for a generally well-administered process, despite the challenges” ahead of the 2023 presidential and general elections.
FULL TEXT OF THE INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS JOINT PRESS RELEASE BELOW:
Press Release
22 July 2022
Joint Statement by International Partners on the Lofa By-election
The International Community in Liberia congratulates the people of Lofa and the Government of Liberia on the mainly peaceful, free, fair, and transparent conduct of the Lofa By-election, held on 28 June 2022.
The people of Lofa have once more shown their unrelenting commitment to democracy. We welcome reports that the election proceeded largely smoothly, without major incident.
The International Community in Liberia commends the National Elections Commission for a generally well-administered process, despite challenges. We urge the Government of Liberia and the elections commission to seize the current momentum to make progress on the preparations for peaceful, inclusive, and credible general elections, as scheduled in October 2023, which is crucial for consolidating peace.
The International Community in Liberia calls upon political stakeholders to refrain from using intemperate language and underscores the need to ensure accountability for any violations of the rule of law that might otherwise occur. We continue to stress that any electoral dispute should be resolved peacefully through established legal channels.
We also encourage the Liberian authorities, and other political stakeholders, to listen to the Liberian people, including the half of the population who are female, and adopt measures that will ensure and facilitate increased gender equality, including increased active participation and representation of women in electoral processes and in the Legislature.
The International Community in Liberia reaffirms its continued commitment in support of Liberia’s efforts to achieve sustainable peace, reconciliation, and development.