By: H. Richard Fallah
MONROVIA: The Resident Ambassador of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Liberia, Madam Josephine Nkrumah, has cautioned the Liberian media to be fair in their reportage, as the country gets prepared for the crucial October 10, 2023 Presidential and Legislative Elections.
Speaking over the week-end in Monrovia, at a meeting with the National Elections Commission (NEC) and the visiting Facts-finding Team from ECOWAS, Ambassador Nkrumah called on the media to know what to report and how will it will help the country`s democracy.
She also encouraged media outlets to assist the National Elections Commission (NEC) in providing adequate, and massive civic and voter education for the elections.
Ambassador Nkrumah noted that if all stakeholders, including the media, can work together for the successful conduct of the Biometric Voters Registration (BVR) exercise and general elections, it would demonstrate to the rest of the world that Liberia’s democracy is maturely growing, even in the absence of United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).
The media across the world are noted to be very powerful when it comes to breaking or maintaining peace in any country.
Commenting on the essence of the meeting, Ambassador Nkrumah, said the facts-finding mission to Liberia, was the first of many others to be deployed in Liberia to gather information in preparation for the 2023 Elections.
“As a facts-finding mission, the delegation will listen to comments and suggestions from stakeholders on the 2023 General Elections and study how ECOWAS can assist NEC,” Nkrumah explained.
She informed the meeting that the ECOWAS mission has had insightful engagements with relevant stakeholders to the elections, including political parties.
For her part, the Chairperson of the National Elections Commission (NEC), Madame Davidetta Browne Lansanah, used the time to appeal to the sub-regional grouping, ECOWAS, for administrative and technical support.
She said ECOWAS’ support is needed because this will help to strengthen data management and to build confidence in the BVR process, which is being used in Liberia for the first time.
The BVR exercise is scheduled to start on March 20 and the Commission has said it will end on May 11, 2023.
During the meeting, the NEC Chair lauded ECOWAS for its support and the critical role it has played in strengthening the Liberian electoral process over the years, particularly over the last two decades.
According to her, ECOWAS has always played a leading and critical role in Liberia’s peace process.
The members of the ECOWAS delegation include Francis Oke, head of Elections Assistance of ECOWAS and head of delegation; and Ebenezer Asiedu, Principal Officer of the Directorate of Political Affairs.
In 1994, reports of the country’s media outlets, Radio Kigali and others caused the commission of the Rwandan Genocide in which millions of people were murdered in cold blood.
