Oct 17, 2011

News

NED Grantees Facilitate Peaceful Elections in Liberia

Dominique Dieudonné, NED Program Officer for West Africa

On October 11, Liberians went to the polls for the second time in three months, this time to choose among presidential and legislative candidates. After decades of conflict, this peaceful and remarkably transparent election marks a substantial step forward in Liberia’s democratic process.  

For the past year, NED grantees have been working in communities throughout the country on the civic and voter education initiatives that encouraged the 1.7 million registered voters to make their voices heard. Many young Liberians voted for the first time.

In Margibi County, NED grantee National Youth Movement for Transparent Elections (NAYMOTE) focused its civic and voter education largely on youth, women, and the disabled, who make up a significant portion of eligible voters. To underscore the importance of civic engagement, NAYMOTE worked with hundreds of volunteers from Margibi’s youth networks and university student unions who used illustrative banners, posters, pamphlets, and sample referendum and general voting sheets to discuss the voting process.

The last referendum in Liberia was organized in 1984, which meant the August referendum was a new phenomenon for many voters. In Nimba County – which borders Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire – grantee Committee for Peace and Development Advocacy (COPDA) created citizen committees in two districts, Karnplay and Yekepa. These were comprised of seven local citizens interested in the county’s civic affairs and human rights. COPDA helped the citizen committees organize forums in five local high schools to discuss the four propositions in the referendum. After the official launch of the campaign, the citizen committees also organized forums with legislative candidates, which allowed voters to interact with those candidates and have constructive discussions about their campaign promises. In Bong County, grantee Liberia Democracy Watch held a similar forum with three senatorial candidates, one independent and two representing two political parties.

Despite the presence of Liberian President Ellen Sirleaf, women are only marginally represented in elections participation and leadership positions. However, grantee Forum for the Rights of Women (FOROW) worked in Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, and Gbaporlu counties to underscore the role of women in the country’s decision making process with workshops, radio programs and community outreach teams. FOROW educated women on the provisions of the Liberian constitution that protect women’s rights and support transparent elections. A total of 600 women were targeted for this project and encouraged to participate in the electoral process.

In Lofa County, NED grantee Rural Human Rights Activists Program (RHRAP) worked with school administrators, local political party representatives, and traditional, religious and community leaders to promote non-violence during elections. RHRAP facilitated community dialogues and discussions on community radio stations that went at the heart of lingering ethnic tensions in the county.

All of these efforts by a diverse range of NED grantees contributed to the success of the October elections, the first to be conducted by Liberia’s National Election Commission and in line with the 1986 Constitution. Final election results are expected by October 26; if no Presidential candidate receives a majority, the two front-runners will face a run-off vote in early November.

Learn more about NED grantees in Liberia. :: more

Liberian grantee recently honored for its work in passing a Freedom of Information law. ::more