Capital Hill, Monrovia, Release – The Liberian government is willing and ready to conduct the upcoming legislative and presidential elections, which are scheduled for October 10, 2023, in a free, fair, transparent, and participatory manner, the acting minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of Liberia, Cllr. Deweh Grey, has assured the ECOWAS Election Observation team visiting Liberia.
According to a Foreign Ministry release, the Acting Foreign Minister declared that everything is now prepared for the holding of Liberia’s parliamentary and presidential elections on October 10, 2023. He also praised the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for its support of the nation’s development efforts and democratic procedures.
Acting Foreign Minister Grey made the comment on September 14, 2023, when the ECOWAS Election Observation Team paid her a courtesy visit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Capitol Hill in Monrovia, according to a release from the foreign ministry.
The Acting Foreign Minister welcomed the ECOWAS Election Observation Team to Liberia and expressed gratitude for their visit, adding that “this is the season leading up to the elections in Liberia, which will take place on October 10, 2023.”
Acting Foreign Minister Grey thanked ECOWAS for deploying an observation team to support the electoral process in Liberia on behalf of the country’s government and people. Cllr. Grey also assured the ECOWAS Observation team that her administration will take all reasonable steps to guarantee that the elections on October 10, 2023 would be free, fair, transparent, and democratic.
She asserted that the Liberian government, led by H.E. President Dr. George Manneh Weah, has nothing to hide and that it is required by the constitution to ensure that all Liberians, including stakeholders, are free to participate in the democratic process without fear of intimidation or harassment. Additionally, according to Cllr. Grey, every part of the election would be made public in order to increase openness and let national and international observers carry out their missions in Liberia.
“I know that Liberians once formed part of ECOWAS Observation team sent to observe other elections around the ECOWAS sub-region and so we can assure you that ours would be of no exception.”
She thanked the regional organisation for all the support Liberia as a whole has gotten from it, especially during the nation’s civil crisis and transitional period as well as its election seasons.
Mr. Serign Ka, the head of the ECOWAS delegation in Liberia, explained to the acting foreign minister that his team is in the country to monitor the election-related activities leading up to the legislative and presidential elections in October of this year.
The ECOWAS mission is in Liberia, Mr. Serign Ka further emphasised, principally to monitor and support the country’s impending electoral process as part of ECOWAS’ efforts to promote peace, stability, and democracy in the sub-region.
Then he added that while in Liberia, the group would engage with pertinent organisations and other interested parties to determine how ECOWAS could assist with the electoral process as part of initiatives to advance democracy, peace, and stability in the subregion.
“We will be hearing from the Liberian people on the challenges and issues concerning the electoral process in Liberia, Mr. Ka said.
The head of the ECOWAS delegation also noted that a team had been sent earlier on a fact-finding mission to Liberia, where they had met with various stakeholders as well as the honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Amb. Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr.
