5 Apr. (EUROPE PRESS) –
Liberia’s political parties have signed an agreement aimed at avoiding violent incidents ahead of the presidential and legislative elections called in October, in which the current president, George Weah, will seek re-election.
The main objective of the agreement, known as the Farmington River 2023 Declaration, is to guarantee a peaceful electoral process, which is why 27 signatory parties have promised to maintain peace before, during and after the elections.
Weah has highlighted after the signing of the agreement that there is a successful precedent in 2017, when the political formations signed a similar document that “was respected”. “The elections were held in a free, fair and transparent manner, without violence,” he stressed.
“Once again, six years later, the citizens of this country will go to the polls in October to participate in presidential and legislative elections and elect their leaders,” he stated, before defending that the elections “are a significant opportunity not to not only to consolidate democratic advances, but to strengthen and increase them”.
For this reason, he has stressed that “it is up to all political actors, including the government party, opposition parties, civil society, the media and all Liberians, to recognize the importance of peace during the elections and to work collectively to achieve a credible, inclusive and peaceful process”.
Weah has reviewed that the country “has enjoyed five years of sustained peace” since he came to power in January 2018 and has argued that “it is imperative to reject and condemn those who seek to drag the country into its dark days.”
In this line, he has asserted that the agreement “means that political leaders send a firm signal to militants, followers and the whole world of an inflexible commitment and preparation for peaceful, free, fair, transparent, inclusive and democratic elections”.
The signing of the agreement was attended by members of the electoral observation missions of the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU). Weah will seek re-election, a vote in which he will face, among others, former vice president Joseph Boakai of the Unity Party.
