Liberia-A Beacon Of Democratic Self-Governance In Africa

The U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires, Catherine Rodriguez has praised Liberia’s democracy describing it as a beacon of democratic self-governance in Africa.

In a special statement issued recently on the Presidential and Legislative Elections in Liberia, Madam Rodriguez noted that the National Elections Commission announced final results of the November 14 presidential runoff on November 20, 2023.

“We congratulate President-elect Joseph Boakai on his election. Additionally, we commend President George Weah for gracefully accepting the election results. We urge all Liberians to join President Weah and accept the results peacefully,” the US Charge d’Affaires noted.

According to her, the runoff and the October 10 general elections were a success, further consolidating Liberia’s post-civil war democratic gains, and cementing its position as a beacon of democratic self-governance in Africa.

“Reports by independent international and domestic observers deployed across nearly every polling place in the country attest to the success of the elections. They have all praised the overall transparency and credibility of the election process,” she added.

She noted that many people and institutions deserve credit for this historic achievement by Liberia including ordinary Liberians who stood patiently and peacefully in lines across the country to vote for their national leaders. They also include the various candidates, political parties, civil society, and media organizations who played an important role in ensuring a peaceful election process.

“Our very special congratulations go to the NEC for independently organizing the elections under intense pressure and facing daunting challenges. NEC workers braved difficult roads and traveled long distances to make sure voting materials were available at all 5,890 polling places across Liberia in time for voters to cast their ballots. They spent long hours counting ballots, and calmly resolved sometimes heated disputes at tallying centers, patiently explaining the process to party representatives,” the statement from the United States Embassy near Monrovia added.

Madam Rodriguez noted, “The daily press conferences held by the NEC Commissioners were a model of transparency. Commissioners provided timely election results to the public and forthrightly responded to questions from the media. They took quick action to address legitimate complaints about the integrity of the elections, ordering re-votes and recounts when necessary.”

According to the US Embassy, the NEC’s performance is even more remarkable and deserves our special commendation because the 2023 elections were the first conducted since the end of the Liberian civil war without any direct financial support from the international community.

She added, “Liberians should be proud of themselves for peacefully turning out to vote. They should also be proud of the NEC for meeting the challenge and independently executing its mandate to administer an election process that accurately reflects the will of the people.”

Wilson