Monrovia – As Liberians gear up to participate in what many view as the country’s most fiercely contested elections, the National Youth Movement for Transparent Elections (NAYMOTE) has launched its peace building movement to ensure that the elections in October is free of violence.
Report by Gerald C. Koinyeneh – [email protected]
Serving as guest speaker at the event, a Liberian clergyman and motivational speaker, Reverend Foday E. Karpeh called on young people to be agents of peace as they have a crucial role to play in the electoral process.
Reverend Karpeh noted that the October elections will be a defining moment in the nation’s history as it would be the first time in over 70 years that Liberia will be experiencing a democratic transition and as such, Liberians should unite and reject vices that have the propensity to derail the process.
“And so on this day, I have come to encourage us; I have come to motivate all of us, that peace is an essential element of your very future. And if you sit here and say I don’t care, you are risking your own future. Nations that are successful today did not get there on a silver platter,” he said.
“As we participate in the elections on October 10, let our votes be about jobs, education and the improvement of our country.”
“When leadership is incompetent, it poses a threat to peace. Let us keep the peace and sustain the peace. Let October 10 be a history making event in our lives once again to show the world that we are peace loving people,” he intoned.
Speaking earlier, NAYMOTE Executive Director, Eddie Jarwolo asserted that a successful election would be a success story not only for Liberians, but for the international community who have spent several billions of dollars in maintaining the peace in Liberia.
Jarwolo noted that the peace initiative is being implemented in the 15 counties across the country to create awareness among the young people to desist from any act that would lead to electoral violence as they constitute 55 percent of the voting population.
“Most of the election violence across the world is perpetrated by young people. So this program is mostly focusing on how young people can have a new thinking or mindset to make sure we maintain the peace,” the NAYMOTE boss stressed.
“Young people constitute 55% percent of registered voters. So after this election, we expect that the issues of the young people will be the issue that the next government will pick up depending on the way we will discuss the issues,” he averred.
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