Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has issued a warning to candidates in Liberia’s recent elections, urging them to refrain from making premature declarations of victory.
Gatekeepers News reports that ECOWAS has also expressed its commitment to taking action against individuals inciting violence.
The election in Liberia, held on October 10, involved a choice between re-electing football legend George Weah for a second term as president and selecting members of the new parliament.
The vote marks an important milestone as it is the first election held since the United Nations ended its peacekeeping mission in Liberia in 2018. This mission was established in the aftermath of two civil wars that resulted in the deaths of over 250,000 people from 1989 to 2003.
ECOWAS, along with the African Union (AU), has commended the government and the election commission for organizing a peaceful vote with high enthusiasm and participation.
The vote counting process is currently underway, and the final results are expected to be announced within two weeks of the election.
“The attention of the ECOWAS Commission has been drawn to attempts by some Liberian stakeholders to declare premature victories or put undue pressure on the National Elections Commission (NEC),” AFP quoted the bloc’s statement
The Economic Community of West African States said it “appreciates and commends the people of Liberia for a peaceful voting process on Election Day”.
“It calls on them to continue to exercise maximum restraint as they wait for official provisional results from the NEC.”
It advised “all Liberian stakeholders to abide by the democratic tenets of a peaceful and credible electoral process”.
In a warning to election participants, including political leaders, the bloc said: “ECOWAS, the AU and the International Community will hold them accountable for any actions that may lead to violence and instability.”
If no candidate obtains an absolute majority in the election, a run-off will be held in early November.
ECOWAS, an organisation of 15 West African countries, has since 2020 been faced with a series of political crises in the region, including military coups in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Niger.
