As the ensuing elections across the nation approaches its campaign stage, transparency institution, Integrity Watch Liberia, is concerned about Financing Compliance of various political parties, thus embarking on a training for party officials in Monrovia.
Several political parties across Liberia on Thursday, commenced a two-day training on “Campaigning Financing Regulation,” as part of the Integrity Watch Strengthening Political Accountability Project.
The project is aimed at strengthening compliance and enforcement of the campaign finance framework in Liberia and promoting a level playing field and equal opportunities among contestants for a more accountable and transparent electoral process.
Integrity Watch Executive Director, Harold M. Aidoo, in an opening remark at the start of the training, noted that the Campaign financing training for political parties is important, to enable them to comply with elections law on the usage of finance during elections.
Aidoo let out his institution’s action to bring together thirty political parties in a workout that shifts the approaches of how expenditure is done fairly, in line with the elections law.
He acknowledged that the project is a part of monitoring compliance and that seeks to train political parties on financial abidance.
The training is a “foundation of the compliance process and hopes that the knowledge gained will help not just to comply, but to strengthen political parties’ capacity,” Aidoo maintained.
The Integrity Watch forerunner lauded various parties that showed up for the exercise and expressed hope that it would help strengthen that medium of expenditure in keeping with the new elections law.
The project is in partnership with the National Elections Commission, with support from international partners and donors.
The National Elections Commission’s Director of Political Affairs, Ignatius B. Wesseh, noted that having an integrity watch helps the NEC a lot, since the NEC has faced challenges with political parties who have consistently refused to comply with its elections financing law.
Wesseh said limited enforcement of this law will be meaningless to political parties and wants Integrity Watch to ensure that they are enforced and considered by parties.
Wesseh, however, wants Integrity Watch Liberia to track and provide to the NEC information on compliance and noncompliance by political parties, as said process has been difficult on the part of NEC.
He said the parties should also report on their campaign expenditure by September 1, in line with the NEC Law.
Mr. Wesseh has warned that the NEC stands ready to de-certificate any political party that fails to fall in line with the NEC guideline.
Also, in her notes to participants, UNDP Chief Technical Advisor on Liberia Electoral Support Project, Lenka Homolkova, worded that though elections are intended to vote people in and out of power, it is equally important that everyone feels a part of the process.
However, Lenka contended that denying others from equally participating tends to lead to electoral violence.
Therefore, she believes a level playing field is expedient in these political processes.
Madam Lenka is at the same time hopeful that the training will enable political parties to better understand compliance with the elections law and ensure equal opportunities.
Also commenting on the importance of the training, National Democratic Institute Resident Director, Thomas G. Du, recited that Liberia makes good laws and regulations, but enforcement remains a challenge.
He said the enforcement usually favors certain groups of people, which should not be the case.
Rather, Mr. Du believes the enforcement should be independent and not favor a particular individual.
At the same time, Du noted that stakeholders in the political process must ensure compliance that will ensure balance, since elections are not just about the party, but the people.
According to him, political parties usually find it difficult to comply with financing, as a result of the cash or funds of these parties being controlled by a single individual.
He further remarked that it is about time that those forming a part of these political parties, know where their funds are coming from, to ensure financial compliance.
One of the participants at the training, Boima E. Kiawu, National Treasurer of Vision of Liberia Transformation, noted that the initiative is cardinal to enable parties to provide appropriate reports on financing.
Kiawu said it has been difficult for those who head financial activities of political parties to give accurate reports, because their standard bearers usually control finance and refuse to show expenditures that should be made.
He is recommending that NEC also provide similar training for standard bearers, so they can have an understanding of the importance of campaign financing.
Similarly, Liberia Transformation Party’s Financial Secretary, Chris F. Shoniyin, sees the document as a serious instrument and emphasizes the need that all other parties comply with the document.
She said though her party, VOLT, has always complied with the elections law, other parties sometimes violate the laws, on the basis that certain individuals in some of these parties have monopoly over the funds for elections.
Madam Shoniyin wants all political parties to comply with the campaign financing regulations.
