Liberian electorates deserve commendation

THE OVERWHELMING TURNOUT by voters across Liberia in Tuesday, 10 October Presidential and Representatives Elections is highly commendable. Particularly, we hail elderly citizens as old as 70 years or more, who were escorted to various polling centers where they exercised their franchise, including pregnant women and mothers carrying babies on their backs and shoulders, a remarkably enthusiastic departure from previous polls.

INDEED, LIBERIAN DEMOCRACY has come of age, and is gaining maturity. Citizens now consider it a serious responsibility to partake in the process of electing their leaders, a civic duty they seem to not take lightly because their future and future of their children and children’s children is tied to who becomes the country’s next leader.

THEY TOOK THEIR destiny in their hands, because they have a stake in deciding which direction this country would take following these elections as regards economic prosperity and development.

HOWEVER, WE HOPE that this unanimous resolve in turning out to vote was matched by wise choices at the ballot box, because we all should get ready to live with the consequences in the next six years.

THIS IS HOW serious these elections are. It is about Liberia’s peace and survivability in regards to which party takes the helm of power both in the Executive Mansion and the Lower House.

IF WE AS nation would approach national development with similar enthusiasm, as was done in Tuesday’s elections, Liberia will progress unprecedentedly in the coming years. We believe this is the path to take as a people.

ANOTHER THING IS that now the polls are conducted, candidates and electorate should accept the results as the National Elections Commission would announce subsequently. It means that aggrieved parties should channel all discontents to the NEC and relevant institutions, using the law rather than resorting to violence.

ELECTORAL VIOLENCE DOES not help any political party or presidential candidate to win elections; such approach is counter-productive to ascending to democratic leadership, which we think all candidates in the race subscribe to.

A CANDIDATE OR political party losing an election simply provides an opportunity to strategize better in preparation for future contest. Liberian political should appreciate by now that being in opposition does not make you a lesser citizen. In fact, it provides a unique opportunity to critically, but honestly keep the government in power on its toes in terms of service delivery.