Monrovia – The Inspector General of the Liberia National Police Gregory Coleman, has assured citizens of the Southeastern region of Liberia of the Police fullest protection during and after the pending 2017 Presidential and Representatives Elections scheduled for October, but urged them to approach the elections with a spirit of peace and unity.
IGP Coleman informed the citizens that the transition process, if manage well, and void of violence will signify to the international community that Liberians were now prepared to manager their own affairs, and will further attract the international community to invest in the country, something he believed will provide more opportunities for vulnerable youths who are usually victimized in crisis situations.
The LNP Inspector General mentioned that the elections security body to include the Liberia National Police, and other security agencies in the country are concerned about the peaceful conduct of the elections, and was therefore seeking partnership with the entire citizenry of the country in making the elections Violence’s free.
According to a an LNP Press Statement, the Inspector General informed citizens of Maryland, Grand Kru, and Grand Gedeh that the LNP and other members of the elections security body were interested in promoting, and securing an environment that will further increase the confidence of the people in the security bodies that are clothed with the authority to provide protection for all stakeholders in the elections including ordinary citizens.
The LNP Chief in his dialogue with the citizens on the Police “yes to peace and no violence” campaign, was quick to point out that the moved on the part of the Liberia National Police to reach out to citizens across the country was not a sign of weakness but of strength.
” We have been traveling across the country, promoting a peaceful conduct of the pending elections for the safety of us all, and the development of our country, such initiative on our part must not be considered as a sign of weakness”, the IGP said.
“We are prepared to adequately deal with any situation that will want to undermine the electoral process, but we believed that what we are doing by reaching out to you will positively affect the process and therefore seek your indulgence to promote a peaceful transition”, the Inspector General of Police pointed out.
On the issue of logistics for Police and other security agencies that will be involved with the electoral process in October, Coleman assured the southern Eastern citizens that the government and other international partners were gradually addressing the logistical needs of the security sector, but argued that what was more important was to seek citizens’ ownership of the process.
He admonished the citizens to get involved with initiatives that will promote peace by alerting the security sector of anything that has the propensity of derailing the gains the country have made and prove to the people of the world that Liberians are ready to put the past behind them and forge ahead.
He cautioned citizens of the region to discourage their children form engaging into violence, stressing that they must not be used to promote the selfish interest of others during the elections.
In separate dialogues held in Grand Kru, Maryland Grand Gedeh and Rivercess counties (Sinoe County dialogue was postponed due to health concerns) local officials and citizens expressed overwhelming support to the Police drive of supporting a peaceful elections comes 2017.
The citizens said they were shocked to see the Liberia National Police taking the lead way in promoting peaceful elections, as Police in the past have been unfriendly to citizens.
The citizens expressed their commitment in promoting the initiative launched by the Police but called on central government to provide an all-out support that will enable the Police deployed to all polling centers across the country. They called on the Police to do way with acts that will portrayed them as partisan institution.
They said for the elections to be peaceful the Police must provide an enabling environment for all stakeholders, a request the LNP has pledged to uphold in 2017.