Welcoming the EU Observation Mission

The European Union (EU), one of Liberia’s strategic partners, deploys an election observation mission of 20 to the country several weeks ahead of the October 10 presidential and representative’s elections.

Deputy Chief Observer, Alessandro Parziale, says the EU considers the impending elections as an historical moment for Liberia, assuring that the EOM will monitor the entire electoral process without interfering or supervising, but will provide impartial and objective assessments, leading to a democratic transition in Liberia.

We welcome the EU observation mission to Liberia wholeheartedly and are very optimistic that their presence would not only boost current efforts to transfer political power from administration to another thru the ballot box, but also lend international credibility and trust to the process.

A press release issued here recently by the EU says the observers from 20 different EU member states, will be subsequently joined by an additional 34 short-term observers who will be deployed throughout the country along with locally recruited short-term observers to access the elections in accordance with Liberian law and international commitment that the EU has made regarding elections.

Already, an ECOWAS advance team had been deployed in Liberia since two months ago, holding consultations with various stakeholders to ensure peaceful transfer of power.
Liberians owe it to themselves to make sure the polls are peaceful by avoiding violence no matter which side it may come from. A free, fair, transparent and violent-freed poll would earn us international respect and credibility, particularly having suffered a fratricidal civil war as a country.

In other words, we need to tread the paths of Ghana and Nigeria where there democratic and peaceful polls which results have been internationally acclaimed as not only transparent, free and fair, but very peaceful and democratic.

Liberia deserves more than violent elections, and no one can give us credible polls than ourselves. If we relegate love for country to satisfy political greed we would have ourselves to blame and get ready for the unthinkable consequences.

We all should be reminded time and again, that winning elections anyhow does not mean anything. Rather, it is the collective contribution of the citizenry towards the governance process that brings about sustainable peace, political and economic stability.

Therefore, it behooves all Liberians to work with the EU EOM in conducting a credible election that we would not only be proud of, but the world at large.