The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has warned candidates in Liberia’s recent elections against any premature declarations of victory, saying it would crack down on instigators of violence.
Liberians voted on October 10 on whether to re-elect football legend George Weah for a second term as president, as well as choosing their new parliament.
The vote count is now underway, with the final outcome to be announced within two weeks of the vote.
“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.
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.
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