U.S. Embassy Reacts to Fake News Linking ECC Boss

The U.S. Embassy said it is confident in ECC’s ability to report fairly and accurately on Liberian elections, including the upcoming presidential run-off slated for tomorrow, November 12, 2023.

The embassy said it is aware of a video circulating on social media purporting to show Chairman Oscar Blohof the Elections Coordinating Committee (ECC) engaged in discussions in a political party office.

“The ECC has publicly clarified that it is not Oscar Bloh in the video. Local Voices, a U.S. Embassy-supported fact-checking organization, has also confirmed that it is not Oscar Bloh in the video,” the embassy said in a release over the weekend.

In its release, the embassy mentioned that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is proud to have been supporting the ECC since 2011 to provide objective and evidence-based observation of Liberia’s electoral procedures.

“The ECC has been a trusted partner and a leader in Liberia’s civil society community for over a decade. USAID stands by ECC and its commitment to promoting a free, fair, and peaceful electoral process,” the release added.

The U.S. Embassy encourages all Liberians to take the time to check their sources of information carefully. The future of the country is in the hands of the Liberian people. Please exercise your voice and your right to vote by going to the polls on November 14.

The United States said it is committed to supporting and advancing democracy in Liberia and around the world. , the United States may pursue visa restrictions for those believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining democracy in Liberia, including through the purposeful spread of mis– or disinformation.

As a result of this incident, the embassy disclosed it is actively exploring using this visa restriction authority because we view this as an example of impending election observation efforts needed to ensure transparency.

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