Prof. Attahiru Jega, the head of the Economic Community of West African States Observers Mission in Liberia and a former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, has urged political players and stakeholders involved in Tuesday, November 14,’s Liberian presidential run-off to be guided by the rule of law and fair play.
He also cautioned spectators against interfering with the proceedings.
In a statement released on Sunday, the ECOWAS mission said, “On Friday, November 10, 2023, Prof. Jega met successively with the National Electoral Commission President, Mrs. Davidetta Browne-Lansanah; some civil society actors and the ECOWAS Technical Team.” Mr. Frank Musa Dean Jr. is the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Liberia.
“Jega discussed election preparation and the obstacles to a free, fair, transparent, and credible electoral process” during his discussions with these individuals.
The statement mentioned meetings the former chair of INEC had with numerous high-ranking officials of ECOWAS.
Jega was described as advising “them to carry out their tasks within the confines of the extant electoral legal frameworks and in accordance with international standards” while speaking to ECOWAS observers.
Additionally, he urged them to apply the knowledge and abilities they had gained from their training rather than meddling in the election process. Lastly, he requested that they offer any suggestions they might have for enhancing both the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission and the voting process.
The statement also mentioned that Josephine Nkrumah, the ECOWAS Resident Representative in Liberia, gave the observers a briefing on the circumstances surrounding “the polls.”
Abdel-Fatau Musah, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, acknowledged the observers’ profile and urged them to watch the exercise with objectivity.
