NEC Holds Stakeholders Consultations on the Prevention of Election Violence

ZWEDRU, Grand Gedeh County – The National Elections Commission (NEC) has begun consultations with stakeholders on the prevention of election violence ahead of the 2020 Special Senatorial Election (SSE).

The initial consultations, which are being held amongst registered political parties and civil society organizations, began Wednesday, March 4, 2020 in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County with more than 70 participants in full attendance. The workshop, which is an important tool to mitigating electoral violence, comes on the heels of election violence primarily during the 2019 By-election of District #15 in Montserrado County and as a reminder of the 2016 Ganta Declaration on anti-election violence.

Marking remarks during the official opening in Zwedru, Liberia Deputy Justice Minister for Codification, Cllr. Nyanti Tuan, admonished party representatives to serve as Ambassadors in sharing the knowledge of peace and stability gained at the close of the consultations. Cllr. Tuan urged the participants to extend the knowledge of nonviolence to the greater society through parties’ initiatives. Cllr. Tuan said, “be honest and sincere to the process of upholding the peace of the country. You have the moral duty to avoid violence during the pending Senatorial election”. He reminded the Parties that failure to play a positive role could result in violence protests thereby undermining the hard-earned peace.

In similar tone, UNDP’s National Program Officer said “we all have a stake to preserve the peace of Liberia, no matter where or who you are”. Roosevelt Zayzay said the 2020 SSE is huge hence, “we want you to serve as Ambassadors to spread the message of peace during the process”.

Zayzay said UNDP and its partners took keen interest in issues around election violence considering the most recent election violence that attended some by-elections following the 2017 general and presidential elections. “Following the 2016 Ganta Declaration on nonviolence, signed on by political parties, 2017 elections went well in terms of major violence until the recent by-elections in Montserrado, Zayzay averred. 

In response, on behalf of the political parties, Augustine Nimely of the Change Democratic Action (CDA) said the Parties had gathered in Zwedru fully prepared to learn new approaches in mitigating election violence, especially ahead of the pending Senatorial election.

The UNDP Elections Project, in partnership with European Union, Sweden, Ireland and Canada, supports the Zwedru consultations (with the next taking place in Kakata, Margibi County). NEC is coordinating the consultations. Topics are Election Violence in Liberia, with Emphasis on Violence against Women in Election, Negotiation and Mediation in Election Processes, Voter Registration Modality, and Legal Approach in Healing Election Violence.