Monrovia – The Liberia National Police (LNP) in collaboration with Carter Center have launched a new website for the Police which will update the public on happenings within the Police service.

Report by Bettie K. Johnson Mbayo, bettie.mbayo@frontpageafricaonline.com 

On the site, the names of all Police officers within the LNP, their ranks and batch code are also available for the public.

Police Inspector General (IG) Gregory Coleman said accountability is key in building a security agency and as such, the website would be of great help in that regard.

He says there’s a need to improve communication between communities.

“Effective communication builds the society, and community and policing communication need cannot be overstated,” he said.

The IG commended the Carter Center and partners for establishing the website.

“The lack of trust has led to a lot of ills and it is also one of the contributing factors of conflict.”

“Liberians and others should test the system; if you have a complaint go to the web page and submit the complaint; we will get back to you. We must test the system and see the outcome; don’t say its Liberian thing so it wouldn’t work,” he said.

The website was established by the Oliver Klark, CEO of RoviaGate Technology, LLC, a Liberian-owned company.

Meanwhile, the Director of Global access to information and the Carter Center Laura Newman appreciated the Police commitment to accountability.

“I have worked with other governments but working with the LNP is satisfying and impactful, and your recognition will not be possible if you can’t collaborate and engage the people,” she said.

Monrovia — As today’s Supreme Court ruling means a significant delay in the Liberian presidential run-off originally scheduled for Nov. 7, The Carter Center reiterates its call for all political parties to reaffirm their commitments to a peaceful process and ensure that their supporters maintain calm and exercise patience as they await resolution of electoral disputes.

All Liberians must remain committed to ensuring a peaceful democratic transition from one government to another. Although the timing for the remainder of the electoral process is now uncertain, and continued delays could raise concerns about constitutionally mandated timeframes, The Carter Center is encouraged by Liberian voices that have pledged to put Liberia first and ensure that the peace is upheld.

The Carter Center’s election observation mission has been observing the proceedings before the National Election Commission and the Supreme Court.

The Center notes that in the hearings to date, all parties to the complaints have been given sufficient time to prepare their cases and be heard before the adjudicating bodies. With one exception, the NEC has granted complainants’ requests to submit documentary evidence and call witnesses.

The Center further notes that delays in these proceedings have often been caused by the political parties themselves requesting additional time or not being fully prepared at the time of the hearing.

It is crucial that electoral dispute-resolution processes are evidence-based to allow for a credible assessment of the impact the alleged issues would have on the results and on the ability of the people to express their will.

In this regard, the Center commends the NEC for ensuring transparency throughout the tabulation process and notes that the results by polling station have been posted on the NEC website for public scrutiny. 

The Carter Center urges all political parties with pending disputes before the NEC or the Supreme Court to do their part to ensure efficiency in the process. Similarly, the Center urges the NEC and the Supreme Court to review all matters expeditiously. 

The Center commends repeated calls by The Coalition for Democratic Change for its supporters to maintain the peace, allow the proper institutions to do their work, and wait for the run-off.

As the public becomes aware of the implications of today’s ruling and the further delays in the electoral calendar that it will cause the potential for unrest increases.

In this context, it is critical for all parties to reaffirm their commitment to a peaceful transition under the Farmington and Ganta declarations, to refrain from using inflammatory rhetoric, and to work with all election stakeholders to ensure that the people of Liberia understand the process.

To avoid misinformation that calls into question the rule of law, The Carter Center urges all stakeholders to communicate clearly about the impact of these rulings and the fact that any decisions should be based on actual evidence presented to the tribunals.

On Oct. 10, the Liberian people demonstrated a clear desire for peace and a determination to express their will at the ballot box, turning out in high numbers.

The Election Day observations of the Carter Center’s mission were reported in a statement issued on Oct. 12.

The mission remains in the country to observe the ongoing electoral dispute-resolution process and the run-off and will continue to report on its observations.

Monrovia — As Liberia prepares for a presidential run-off election, The Carter Center acknowledges the historic opportunity for the country to proceed with a peaceful transition of power from one democratically elected president to another.

The Center understands that some parties are challenging the election, and we are glad that today they have reiterated their commitment to using the appropriate legal dispute-resolution procedures provided in Liberian law. 

Complaints filed by these parties remain under consideration by the National Election Commission.

The Carter Center’s election observation mission has been observing the proceedings and will continue to follow the process.

The Carter Center encourages all political parties to continue to use the existing electoral dispute-resolution mechanisms.

The parties should allow the dispute process, including any and all appeals, to proceed and should respect the final decisions of the adjudicating bodies.

“It is imperative that all political parties allow the NEC and the courts to fulfill their function in this process and respect the court’s final decisions,” Jason Carter, chairman of The Carter Center Board of Trustees, said following a press conference held today by political parties currently challenging the election. 

The Carter Center released a statement two days after the election that covered its observations of election day, election preparations, and the campaign.

The mission’s findings were based on a long-term observation effort that began in 2016 and included the deployment of more than 50 international election observers in all of Liberia’s 15 counties on election day.

The mission remains in the country to observe the completion of the tabulation process and the adjudication of disputes.

Monrovia – Liberia Crusader for Peace (LCP) with support from Carter Center says maintaining the peace in Liberia should be a priority of all political party leaders.

Report by Bettie K. Johnson Mbayo, bettie.mbayo@frontpageafricaonline.com

Ambassador Julie Endee says Political parties should engage the legal process and stay away from demonstrations.

She commended Liberians for a peaceful election, “We are excited with the peace in the country so far, but it has to be upheld and whoever wins must be respected by every Liberians.”

Endee said the Peace Action Network (PAN) implemented by LCP is supported by the Carter Center in collaboration with the Swedish Embassy.

“The LCP is engaged with Community advocacy and we have intensified our work and synchronized our activities in 3 counties.”

“It’s because we don’t want to go back to our ugly past, and the future can only be succeed if we all tackle violence.”

Endee disclosed that LCP is working with Civil Society Organizations (CSO) in preaching the culture of peace as the country await the pronouncement of  run-off from the elections commission.

She said they are contemplating on expanding the message to Lofa but finance is an issue.

“Peacebuilding is a continuous process and we have to continue the message.”

“We are cautioning our people to refrain from violence, no one can declare election results except the NEC, and we urge them to exercise patience because we don’t want to go back to our ugly past.”

“We as a people must continue to dialog and engage one another for the peace of Liberia.”

“I have witnessed elections protest and the tendency of people joining peaceful protests sometimes is far from what you as a head of the protest intends.”

“So I recommend that positive dialogue and moving on to the legal system should be prioritized.”

“The Kukatornon pledge should be said by all Liberians. I also appeal that we as Liberians should concentrate on the legal means instead of demonstration.”

“You might have the rights to protest but women and children should be protected.”

Ambassador Endee has condemned the alleged arson attack on the station manager of OK FM, journalist Smith Toby’s home.

She said it is unacceptable to destroy what one works for, “it is an early warning. When people are against the civil liberties of a citizen, then they tell you who they will become if they ascend to power.”

“We have our human resource department who are about to send support on behalf of LCP.”

“The war is over and we must accept to live in a society, and you have to listen to someone criticism and faults.”

She praised the media for its responsible reporting during the elections and urged that they uphold the ethics of journalism. 

Monrovia — In a preliminary statement issued today, The Carter Center commended Liberians for the calm and peaceful atmosphere of their nation’s Oct. 10 election.

No matter the outcome of this election, it will result in a transfer of power from one democratically elected government to another for the first time in the lives of many Liberians.

This moment marks an important turning point for the nation’s democracy, and the Liberian people have shown a clear desire for a peaceful and smooth transfer of power.

The Carter Center was honored to observe the entire pre-election process and commends the Liberian people for their clear enthusiasm and determination to peacefully express their will at the ballot box.

The pre-election period was characterized by a peaceful campaign, transparent preparations, and logistical challenges.

The Center’s observers, who were deployed across all 15 of Liberia’s counties on election day, report that the opening, polling, closing, and counting processes were generally conducted according to procedure in the approximately 145 polling places they visited. In most of these locations, materials were delivered on time, and polls opened on time.

However, observers across most counties reported difficulty in locating voters on the Final Registration Roll in some polling places.

In what appeared to be a related problem, observers reported that ineffective queue management, mainly in large precincts, affected the orderly flow of the polling, creating confusion among voters and long lines throughout the day.

It is important to note, however, that Liberia’s election process is still ongoing and that The Carter Center cannot issue an overall assessment until several important steps – including any dispute resolution – are concluded.

This statement is one of five that the Center has made about the process, and it only covers observations to date. Further reports addressing the tabulation process, the resolution of election disputes, and the post-election environment will follow.

In the spirit of respect and support, The Carter Center offers the National Election Commission the following short-term recommendations:

The NEC has acknowledged difficulties with long lines and queue management at polling precincts.

Given this, if there is a runoff, we recommend the NEC offer precinct staff enhanced instructions on these issues before a second round. It is crucial that voters be able to easily identify their polling station.

We suggest giving this information at the entrance to the polling precinct in a manner that is clear to all voters before a voter begins to stand in line for a particular polling place.

Observers noted that NEC officials were proactive in visiting polling stations to resolve problems on election day, and we encourage the NEC to continue to react promptly as issues arise throughout the tabulation process.

Transparency is crucial in an election, and the Center urge the NEC to continue its efforts to ensure that the tabulation process is transparent at all levels and that the public is provided the information it needs to fully understand the process.

The prompt release of results is an effective means of building confidence among the electorate and preventing confusion and tension.

To this end, the Center urges the NEC to release provisional results, including at the polling place level. Provisional results should be released as soon as they are ready and include a clear indication of the counties and percentage of precincts reporting.

Political parties should uphold their responsibility to ensure that their supporters maintain the peace throughout the electoral process and through the transition that will follow.

Monrovia  – The Carter Center (CC) has warned political parties to refrain from releasing parallel results prior to the publication of provisional results by the National Election Commission (NEC).

Report by Bettie K. Johnson Mbayo, bettie.mbayo@frontpageafricaonline.com

The statement of the Center followed a pre-election statement summarizing key findings from the campaign period and pre-electoral environment in the lead-up to Liberia’s presidential and legislative elections on Oct. 10.

The CC also called on both political parties and the NEC to be clear in informing voters that only results reviewed and released by the NEC are official.

“While stakeholders have the right to gather and disseminate information regarding the process of the election — including results collected from polling stations  — any results released by a political party before the official results are finalized have the potential to increase confusion and misunderstanding and could unnecessarily cast doubt on the legitimacy of the outcome.”

The CC said “It is likely that discrepancies will arise because of differences in the speed and location of unreported results, the additional checks the magistrates will be conducting during the NEC’s official results tabulation process at the county level, and the different methods for gathering the information.”

The statement said refraining from releasing early and unofficial results will help limit confusion among the electorate and avoid inflaming tensions.

It can be recalled the standard bearer of the Coalition for Democratic Change or CDC  George Weah’s says that it would go ahead to announce its own results from all polling centers across the country at the close of the polls.

Coalition Chairman Nathaniel McGill also confirmed that that they will not wait for the National Elections Commission to announce official results of the polls, instead, the Coalition will create a war room at its national headquarters in Monrovia, where its poll workers around the country will send results via modern technology from polling centers for subsequent posting to various media outlets.

McGill explains that the rationale behind pronouncing results ahead of NEC is to deny anyone that may have any intention of cheating the CDC. However, he clarifies that the National Elections Commission will officially declare winner of the election, but the CDC will not only look to the commission.

He says the Coalition’s results would be certified by observers, NEC workers and other poll watchers. Chairman McGill discloses that already, the CDC is training over 20,000 poll workers, who will be deployed throughout the country equipped and well financed with the sole obligation of forwarding results on an hourly basis to national headquarters in Monrovia.

The statement by Carter Center is the latest in a series, a comprehensive long-term international election observation mission in Liberia. 

The current phase of the center includes six long-term observers who have been deployed across the country since August, and a core team of electoral experts in Monrovia.

In the coming week, they will be joined by about 30 short-term observers who will help observe the voting, counting, and tabulation processes.

The Carter Center delegation will be led by H. E., former President of the Central African Republic; Jason Carter, chairman of the Carter Center Board of Trustees; and Jordan Ryan, Vice President of the Carter Center’s peace programs.

The Center offers several recommendations on steps to increase public confidence in the election and flags a few issues that could prove problematic, including several that could be addressed prior to Election Day.

The CC recommended that the NEC should consider using all media and telecommunication options to communicate the availability of the SMS voter list verification tool to voters, which would contribute to the public’s confidence in the quality of the list and help familiarize voters with the location of their polling places.

To further its commitment to transparency, the NEC should publicly post the lists of people selected as polling station staff so that the names may be scrutinized by the community.

The NEC should continue its efforts to explain the tabulation process and the provisions for ensuring adequate access for party agents and observers, and any other safeguards it is implementing. Further, a clear outline of the planned timetable for releasing results would help prepare political parties and the general public for the days following Election Day.

“The Police and political parties should continue the commendable cooperation they have shown to date; all parties and candidates should reiterate their commitment to a peaceful process and respect one another’s right to campaign.”

The CC statement further that candidates should exercise caution in their rhetoric and remind their supporters that no matter their ethnic group or heritage, they and their opponents are all Liberians.

”In order to assure voters that they can cast their ballots free from intimidation and that the secrecy of the vote is fully protected, all parties should refrain from gathering voter identification numbers in the time before Election Day.”

 In addition, the political parties and the NEC should assure voters that it is not possible to determine how a voter cast his or her ballot based on an identification number, and that persons who have collected voter identification numbers will not be able to determine how a voter cast their ballot.

The CC recommended that political parties with concerns about the misuse of state resources should document possible violations and file formal complaints with the relevant authorities.

Monrovia – As Liberia moves toward its third post-conflict election and a historic transfer of power, the Carter Center’s international election observation mission Tuesday released a statement on the process to date, which includes recommendations to ensurea peaceful, credible election.

For the first time, Liberia’s National Elections Commission is managing the election process independent of large-scale international assistance.

After acknowledging some technical difficulties in the compilation of the voter lists, the NEC continues to work on finalizing the voter roll. Although the NEC is still in compliance with legal deadlines for its finalization, presidential candidates and political party officials have expressed concerns to The Carter Center about its status.

Following President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s tenure as the first elected female head of state in Africa, hopes were high for the participation of women in Liberian politics.

Unfortunately, women’s participation in this election is limited.

Only two parties successfully ensured that 30 percent of their candidates were women.

Overall, political parties expressed measured confidence in the impartiality of the NEC. In an effort to bolster transparency, the NEC has convened regular meetings with the political parties at the national level through the Inter-Party Consultative Committee.

This practice does not seem to be consistently replicated in the counties, where it could offer a valuable channel of communication and dispute resolution.

Presidential candidates and political party officials have also raised concerns regarding the perception of bias in the media and the need to pay for coverage.

Although the Center is not engaged in systematic media monitoring, it has noted a lack of a regulatory framework to provide electoral contestants with equitable access to the media. 

Official campaigning has only just begun, with a few major rallies in the capital and minimal activity observed in the counties.

Despite the limited extent of campaign activity so far, the Center is encouraged by its peaceful and positive character, as well as by the commitment to a peaceful election professed by all the candidates with whom the mission has met.

The Carter Center notes with concern that allegations of the misuse of state resources in the campaign are widespread, and will be closely observing this throughout the process.

“This election is an important stage in the consolidation of Liberia’s democracy,” said Jordan Ryan, vice president of the Carter Center’s peace programs.

“The Center is encouraged by the NEC’s progress and by the peaceful conduct of the campaign to date. We urge the NEC to communicate clearly with the parties, and we encourage the parties to continue their cooperation with the NEC and maintain their commitment to peace.”

The pre-election statement is based on the work of the Center’s core team and six long term observers, who have been in the country since early August and have now visited 13 of the country’s 15 counties.

Shortly before election day, more than 30 short-term observers will join the team in Liberia and deploy across the country to assess the voting, counting, and tabulation processes.

In the spirit of support and cooperation, the statement offers a number of recommendations, including:

To increase transparency and election stakeholders’ confidence in the integrity of the voter lists, the NEC should provide further information on what has been done to address deficiencies in the provisional list and provide political parties copies of the final lists without delay.

In furtherance of its goal to have women participate in the administration of the election, the NEC should prioritize the recruitment of women at all levels.

To ensure a level playing field for all contestants, the NEC and other relevant authorities should thoroughly investigate all allegations of the misuse of administrative resources and use existing remedies to hold perpetrators accountable.

To increase voters’ awareness of candidates and political party platforms and to allow for equal opportunities, Liberian authorities should consider providing free airtime on the state broadcaster to political parties and presidential candidates on an equal basis.

To facilitate broad sharing of key electoral information, the NEC should consider replicating the IPCC structure at the county level.

Further, the national-level IPCC should become a weekly event. This could ensure more effective outreach to election stakeholders and build confidence by keeping stakeholders informed of key NEC decisions and issues that may impact their participation.

Most importantly, in promotion of a smooth transition, candidates and political party leaders should reiterate their commitment to running a peaceful campaign and call on all supporters to act accordingly. 

Phebe, Bong County – The Carter Center Liberia Mental Health Program has donated a vehicle worth over US$43,000 and several mental health books valued at over US$7,000 to the Phebe Nursing School in Bong County.

The donation is aimed at enhancing the effort of the nursing school in taking students for clinical trials in rural locations.

For the Phebe school administration, the donation came at the time it is most needed as it will mitigate the challenges facing the school.

The Chief Medical Officer at the Phebe Hospital, Jefferson Sibelia assured Carter Center that the donation would be used for its intended purpose.

“The vehicle is so important, the student will have to practice and they will need transportation, this was one of the challenges other cohort has been having. I’m so happy, these books are very important you can’t just easily find these books anywhere, having these hard copies is something important,” Sibelia said.

Sibelia added that the way he sees the program moving, if things continue, success is sure.

“We see some success, this is in the direction of improving our mental health system in the country and strengthening the institution,” he said.

The Carter Center Mental Health Program Lead Dr. Janice Cooper said, a basic training program in mental health adopted by Phebe School of Nursing is a wonderful opportunity for Carter Center.

“As we agreed to partner with JSI to support as much as we can, by conducting at least two cohorts basic training in mental health, we are trying to find the necessary funding to continue it,” Dr. Cooper said.

 “We bought some books that Phebe School of Nursing can use in its work; to me this is like my baby, anytime if I have, I have to help,” Dr. Cooper added.    

From 2010 through 2015, the Carter Center and its partners trained and graduated 187 mental health clinicians.

The Center’s partnership with Liberia’s Ministry of Health and the Liberian Board of Nursing and Midwifery also has resulted in an accreditation exam for graduating mental health clinicians.

These accredited clinicians now work throughout the country in all sectors of health service delivery, and at least one mental health clinician works in each of Liberia’s 15 counties.

Monrovia – President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has acknowledged the impressive partnership between Liberia and Carter Center, noting that the American institution has been a great friend to Liberia and its people.

The Liberian leader made the commendation on Wednesday, August 16, 2017 when she received in audience the Chief Executive Officer of Carter Center, Retired Ambassador Mary Ann Peters, at her Foreign Ministry Office in Monrovia. 

Madam Peters, who is on a week-long visit to Liberia as guest of Carter Center Liberia Office, led a 7-member delegation to the office of President Sirleaf at the Foreign Ministry in Monrovia.

According to an Executive Mansion release, President Sirleaf welcomed the delegation to Liberia and assured that her government was keen on helping to make their mission to Liberia a success. 

President Sirleaf informed the Carter Center CEO that these were important times for the Liberian nation and people, stressing the importance of the support of Liberia’s partners during the electoral and transition processes.

“These are very important times and I am committed to getting everything right.”

“I am also sure that our political leaders, civil society, partners and all others are resolved to getting it right for the sake of Liberia,” President Sirleaf noted. 

The Liberian leader indicated that consistent with the Farmington River Declaration, the Government of Liberia and all of the political actors will ensure not just free, fair, credible and transparent elections, but one that is very peaceful, violence-free to consolidate the democratic gains of the country.

Key Liberian government officials including the Ministers of Justice, Health and Internal Affairs, provided insights on their partnership with Carter Center and commended the Center for being a true friend to Liberia and its people. 

In remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Carter Center thanked President Sirleaf for the audience and provided an update on her mission to Liberia. She lauded the long-term partnership between Liberia and Carter Center, which she described as rewarding and fruitful. 

She pointed out that Carter Center is keen on observing the General and Presidential Elections in Liberia, but will remain focused on its many projects, including the Mental Health Program, Access to Justice Program, Access to Information Program, Peacebuilding Program and program on identifying triggers or indicators of violence. 

She commended the Liberia National Police for its commitment to neutrality, maturity, professionalism and fairness thus far in handling security towards the 2017 elections.

Ambassador Peters also highlighted some of the many issues affecting women and girls and pledged to work with the government in tackling them. 

Also making remarks, Carter Center Liberia Chief of Party, Pewee Flomoku and Access to Information Lead Person, Thomas Doe Nah provided updates on interventions the Center has made in addressing hurdles identified in line with their respective programs.

They acknowledged the cooperation of the government in enhancing their interventions.

Other members of Ambassador Peters’ delegation include Dr. Dean Sienko, Vice President for Health; Dr. Eve Byrd, Director of Mental Health; Meaghan Fitzgerald, Mission Director, International Election Observation Mission; Pewee Flomoku, Chief of Party, Carter Center Liberia; Dr. Janice Cooper, Project Lead, Mental Health Program; Thomas Doe Nah, Project Lead Person, Access to Information, Carter Center Liberia and Sarah Yoss.

Monrovia – President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on Wednesday, 16 August, 2017 received the Chief Executive Officer of Carter Center, retired Ambassador Mary Ann Peters at her Foreign Ministry Office in Monrovia.

Madam Peters who is on a week-long visit to Liberia as guest of Carter Center Liberia Office led a 7-member delegation on the visit to the Liberian Presidency.

According to an Executive Mansion release, President Sirleaf acknowledged the impressive partnership between Liberia and Carter Center, noting that the American institution has been a great friend to Liberia and its people.

She welcomed the delegation to Liberia and assured that her government was keen in helping to make the mission to Liberia a success.

President Sirleaf informed the CEO of Cater Center that these were important times for the Liberian nation and people, stressing the importance of the support of Liberia’s partners during the electoral and transitional processes.

“These are very important times and I am committed to getting everything right.”

“I am also sure that our political leaders, civil society, partners and all others are resolved to getting it right for the sake of Liberia”, President Sirleaf noted.

The Liberian leader indicated that consistent with the Farmington River Declaration, the government of Liberia and all of the political actors will ensure not just free, fair, credible and transparent elections, but one that is very peaceful, violence-free to consolidate the democratic gains of the country.

Key government officials including the Ministers of Justice, Health and Internal Affairs provided insights on their partnership with Carter Center and commended the Center for being a true friend to Liberia and its people.

Also speaking, Retired Ambassador Mary Ann Peters, Chief Executive Officer of Carter Center thanked President Sirleaf for the audience and provided update on her mission to Liberia. She lauded the long-term partnership between Liberia and Carter Center, which she described as rewarding and fruitful.

She pointed out that Carter Center is keen on observing the General and Presidential Elections in Liberia but will remain focused on its many project including the Mental Health Program, Assess to Justice Program, Assess to Information Program, Peacebuilding Program and program on identifying triggers or indicators for violence.

She commended the Liberian Police for its commitment to neutrality, maturity, professionalism and fairness thus far in handling security towards to the 2017 elections.

Ambassador Peters also highlighted some of the many issues affecting women and girls and pledged to work with the government in tackling same.

Also making remarks, Chief of Party Pewee Flomoku and Access to Information Lead Person, Thomas Doe Nah provided updates on interventions the Center has made in addressing hurdles identified in line with their respective program.

They acknowledged the cooperation of the government in enhancing their interventions.

Other members of Ambassador Peters’ delegation include Dr. Dean Sienko – Vice President for Health; Dr. Eve Byrd – Director of Mental Health; Meaghan Fitzgerald – Mission Director, International Election Observation Mission; Pewee Flomoku – Chief of Party, Liberia; Dr. Janice Cooper, Project Lead, Mental Health Program; Thomas Doe Nah, Project Lead Person – Access to Information and Sarah Yoss.