On Tuesday, October 10, 2023, Liberians will elect a President and legislative representatives. This will mark the first elections conducted since the withdrawal of the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), a global initiative to help end Liberia’s civil wars, restore security and support peacebuilding efforts.
This is a critical election in the country’s history. Among many other things, it will demonstrate to the world our commitment to an orderly and peaceful elections and transfer of political power, the bane of conflicts and insecurity. Led and executed mainly by Liberians with full responsibilities for security, October 10 will prove how far we have come, and our readiness, going forward, to conduct free, fair, credible, and transparent elections, without violence. It will signal also, how deeply committed we are to processing and resolving our differences impartially and fairly through the justice system, as defined by our rule of law. It provides us with an opportunity to evaluate the strengths of our political systems, evaluate the maturity of our young democracy, and thus, the confidence of our citizens in strengthening our democracy as well as adhering to its tenets while safeguarding our hard-won peace.
A key part to this is, of course, the voters registration process, which kicked off March 10, 2023 in two phases as outlined by the National Elections Commission (NEC).
It can be argued that the establishment of a fair and principled electoral system is perhaps the most important institutional decision for any functioning democracy, profoundly affecting the future political life of the country concerned, as well as the lives of both the elected representatives and citizens of that country.
As we enter a post-civil war phase of our history and begin to transform our election process, it is critical that the NEC is fully funded in order to assure a free, fair, and transparent election in October. If the funding is provided, the NEC will have the necessary resources to effectively prepare for and implement all aspects of a fully transparent electoral process and mitigate opportunities for shadowy and unhelpful backroom maneuvers. In this regard, the NEC must not only be fair and transparent, they must act in ways that remove any public doubt.
The problem often is that, for better or worse, it is the political institutions that create the rules of the game under which the democracy is practiced, and, unfortunately, it can also be argued that the easiest political institution to manipulate is the electoral system. Because, while many aspects of a country’s political framework are etched in its constitution, which is difficult to amend, an electoral system is not. This ultimately means that a change to the existing electoral system requires only a new piece of legislation and is therefore subject to manipulation by a corrupt governmental majority, most of whom are themselves up for reelection. Twisting and bending the rules for advantages against opponents are often the case. However, this undermines the chance to make our electoral processes better.
The electoral system plays a crucial role in shaping the democratic landscape of any nation, including Liberia, which unfortunately (also like many other countries) faces many challenges maintaining a fair and equitable electoral process.
As part of a local nonprofit working almost exclusively with the girls and young women of Liberia, we have seen instances of voter disenfranchisement, electoral irregularities, and limited transparency and accountability. This becomes more concerning when you consider the number of new voters being registered. According to the latest estimates from the NEC, the preliminary number of new registered voters in Phase One is a little over 1.4 million people, including over 711, 000 girls and almost 724,000 boys. [Final figures are now out. Check NEC website]
A significant portion of our population faces barriers that limit the ability to exercise their constitutional protected voting rights. These barriers include inadequate voter education, the lack of handicapped accessible polling stations, and the high costs associated with voter registration for which many have to cover long distances.. As a collective group, we are also challenged with the fact that many first-time voters, especially the girls and young women, are overwhelmingly undersized because of a lack of nutritional resources and, as a result, are often assumed to be underage. This forces an additional registration phase of collecting confirming documentation or asking a parent for assistance.
These factors disproportionately affect marginalized communities, contributing to their underrepresentation in the electoral process and undermining the principle of inclusivity. In addition, our Girls and Young Women led groups have also recognized the need for sign language interpreters for the hearing-impaired.
Liberia has also historically faced persistent challenges related to electoral irregularities, which undermine the integrity and credibility of the electoral process, such as voters being transported to locations outside their communities in exchange for money or favor. Such irregularities erode public trust and confidence in the electoral system, leading to political instability and a lack of legitimacy for elected officials. In addition, the inadequate enforcement of electoral laws and the lack of impartiality in the adjudication of electoral disputes further contributes to the negative perception of the Liberian electoral process. We must not let ourselves continue in this way after the prices the nation and friends of Liberia paid to get itself here.
Transparency and accountability are fundamental pillars of a robust electoral process. However, in Liberia, the lack of transparency and accountability has routinely undermined both the governing and the democratic processes. The fact is that money can and will influence politics. But it is no reason not to be transparent and accountable. Transparency and accountability are vital tools to create an even playing field. The lack of adequate mechanisms for monitoring campaign financing and ensuring accountability fosters corruption and allows for undue influence on our electoral outcomes. These undermine the democratic principles of fairness as well as equality in vote and representation.
Recent findings from the Liberia Elections Observation Network (LEON) has exposed the underrepresentation of women in the Liberian legislature, which, ultimately, constitutes a serious democratic deficit and, if not addressed, could undermine the legitimacy of democracy in Liberia. The survey, conducted in 2022, found that female representation in the Legislature is at 6.6 percent, and trending downward since 2006, when there was 16 percent women representation in the legislature. This is despite the fact that there are more female voters than males.
A democracy will always only be as genuine as the people who structure it. The Liberia National Elections Commission (NEC) staff needs to be trained to cater to the needs of all citizens, and should be instructed to greet all those registering warmly and cordially. NEC staff should also be hired based on competency and merit, and not based on prejudice or partiality. No staff member should ever be sent to the field without proper guidance and instruction.
The good news is that we have recognized these challenges and, the first step in solving a problem is admitting you have one. In Liberia, we have a voter registration problem. From the school awareness campaign in Bong County, we have recognized the fact that there is a low rate of female first time voters participating in the electoral process, much lower than the rate of boys participating. And, despite the misconception that we were paid to carry out this awareness campaign, the fact remains that we are doing this solely and exclusively to stimulate the consciousness of first-time voters and educate the students, especially the girls, on the impact they have in our decision-making process.
Liberia’s electoral process has been marred by deep-rooted societal behaviors and ideological divides, which, more often than not, has impeded the development of a truly inclusive and cohesive democratic system and has polarized the citizen base. The steps defined above, if instituted, will move us closer towards a more legitimate, inclusive and transparent electoral system, ultimately resulting in more political stability and a more peaceful resolution of conflicts. And that is something that would surely benefit every single citizen in our country.
As we approach our October elections, political parties must unite in their commitment to peace. In order to fulfill the promise of a democratic election, we must rid the election process of corruption and ensure that our underrepresented and marginalized communities are being heard. After all, election is about hearing from the people – not just some of them but all of them. This includes creating programs that address women’s access to voting resources and engaging the community in the election process.
Time to decide for Liberia.
Originally published on Frontpage Africa KEEP Carries Out Awareness on Oct. 10 Elections; Says It’s Crucial to Liberia’s Democracy – FrontPageAfrica (frontpageafricaonline.com)
