A former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission and Head of the Economic Community of West African States Observers Mission in Liberia, Prof Attahiru Jega, has urged political actors and stakeholders involved in the Liberian presidential run-off slated for Tuesday, November 14, to be guided by the rule of law and fair play.
He also advised observers not to interfere with the process.
A statement by the ECOWAS mission on Sunday said, “On Friday, November 10, 2023, Prof Jega met successively with the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Liberia, Mr Frank Musa Dean Jr; President of the National Electoral Commission, Mrs Davidetta Browne-Lansanah; some civil society actors and the ECOWAS Technical Team.
“In his meetings with these actors, Jega discussed the preparation towards the polls and challenges for a peaceful, free, transparent and credible electoral process.”
The statement noted that the former INEC chair also met with several top ECOWAS officials.
While addressing ECOWAS observers, Jega was quoted as urging “them to carry out their tasks within the confines of the extant electoral legal frameworks and in accordance with international standards.
“He also urged them to avoid interfering in the electoral process and to use the skills and tools acquired through their training. Finally, he asked them to make possible recommendations to improve the electoral process and the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission.”
The statement also noted that the ECOWAS Resident Representative in Liberia, Josephine Nkrumah, briefed the observers on the conditions under which “the polls will be held”.
The Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security of ECOWAS, Abdel-Fatau Musah, expressed satisfaction with the profile of the observers while charging them to remain objective in their observation of the exercise.
