Monrovia –The Liberia National Police (LNP) will this week hold two separate dialogues with various political parties, Youth Groups and civil Society Organizations as part of its nonviolence campaign ahead of the 2017 Presidential and Representatives Elections.
The LNP interactive forum is also intended to address various issues relating to the preparedness of the electoral management body and electoral stakeholders to support the smooth conduct of the 2017 elections and peaceful transition.
The forum with political parties, Youth Groups and Civil Society will seek to identify critical challenges, gaps and progress, as well as to constitute explicit measure towards the elections process and enhance a full level of inclusiveness in the electoral management cycle for a smooth democratic transition comes October 2017.
According to a statement from the Liberia National Police, the forum will provide opportunity for elections stakeholders to discuss matters surrounding the smooth handling of the pending elections and to advance means that will discourage violence.
Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman said the LNP was cognizant of the crucial nature of the upcoming elections, stressing that the involvement of all stakeholders in the electoral process was expedient for the country’s democratic process.
The Inspector General maintained that the Police will continue to engage the stakeholders so as to rebuild the confidence of the public in the Police.
IGP Coleman said the dialogue will enable the Police identify situations that could incite violence and enable the Police to immediately respond to any suspicious activity or information received from polling centers, poll workers and political party representatives among other actors.
The Inspector General said the country was approaching an historic moment in its journey towards democratic advancement, and development and as such it was important for all Liberians to guard the transition process by working together in making sure that the 2017 elections is held without ant disturbances.
Concluding the IGP indicated that the forum will give stakeholders, political parties, Civil Society Organizations leaders an indebt understanding of the LNP functionaries in the performance of their today to day operations during the upcoming, and the civil responsibility of all stakeholders involved, while on the other hand the LNP will have the opportunity to understand the ensuring needs which will enhance its service delivery to the general public during these upcoming elections.
The dialogues will take place Tuesday, March 22, 2017 for Civil Society Organizations, while Police –Political parties dialogues will tale Friday, March 24, 2017 at the Paynesville City Hall, in Paynesville City.