Monrovia – Several stakeholders in Liberia have been meeting to ensure that the upcoming presidential and general elections to ensure that the upcoming October election is peaceful.
Report by Bettie K. Johnson Mbayo, [email protected]
Stakeholders that met include; Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman, Internal Affairs Minister Henrique Tokpa, UNMIL Secretary General Farid Zariff and members of African Union, ECOWAS, and European Union.
Emergency Respond Support to Preventive Diplomacy and other related action is an African peace facility to strengthen peace, free and fair election.
Special Representative Amb. Babatunde Olanrewaju Ajisomo said the central goal for the project is to have a free and fair elections adding that the commission has been following Liberia’s election.
He added that the election this year is critical and the commission is looking forward to peaceful transition.
“The project is in line with ECOWAS Protocol on mechanism conflict. Our approach is to respect the rule of law, and its consonance with the ECOWAS protocol,” he stated.
We want the process to remain transparent and a level playing field and we want the rule of law to take course.
We must ensure that gender and peace and security, given focus mostly in Africa is a challenge.
He urged the media to allow all aspirants to have access to their facility.
“So as Government are making to the citizens the media have its part to play, the media facility should be used by every aspirant and political party so we are hoping that the upcoming election be violence free,” said Ajisomo.
Also Inspector General Gregory Coleman re-emphasized the Police commitment that the integrity of the security will remain impeccable and unquestionable.
“We have put in more time planning the execution of the process; we believe that with the purpose of transparency we will do our best.”
Coleman said the Liberia National Police is working on a proposal to set up a communication team to deliberate on statements made to determine whether they constitute hate messages or not.
“We want to come from an independent body, because how messages are conveyed is our priority. We will do all we can for a smooth transition,” he stated.