The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has warned candidates in Liberia’s recent elections, cautioning them against making premature declarations of victory and vowing to take action against those who incite violence.
Liberians participated in the polls on October 10, casting their votes to determine whether George Weah, the football legend, would secure a second term as president and to select members for the new parliament.
The vote count is currently in progress, with the final results expected to be announced within two weeks of the election.
“The attention of the ECOWAS Commission has been drawn to attempts by some Liberian stakeholders to declare premature victories or put undue pressure on the National Elections Commission (NEC),” ECOWAS said in a statement published on its website on Sunday.
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While commending the people of Liberia for a peaceful voting process on Election Day, it reminded the political parties and their leaders of their commitments under the revised Farmington River Declaration on the peaceful electoral process, which was endorsed by the ECOWAS Commission and the United Nations.
“The ECOWAS Commission admonishes all Liberian stakeholders to abide by the democratic tenets of a peaceful and credible electoral process as provided for by the Liberian Constitution and other relevant laws, as well as ECOWAS legal instruments, especially the Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.
“The ECOWAS Commission further cautions all stakeholders, including political leaders as well as the National Elections Commission and the security services of Liberia that ECOWAS, the AU, and the international community will hold them accountable for any actions that may lead to violence and instability,” the bloc said in the statement.
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If no candidate obtains an absolute majority in the election, a run-off will be held in early November.
ECOWAS, an organisation of 15 West African countries, has since 2020 been faced with a series of political crises in the region, including military coups in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Niger.