The Liberia Council of Churches (LCC) and the Partner in Citizens’ Participation for Democracy and Open Governance (CAPDOG) have urged the National Elections Commission (NEC) to remain vigilant.
The two groups commend political parties for signing the revised Farmington’s Declaration on the violence against women in elections and the minimum 30 percent gender quota memorandum of understanding.
These bodies however claim to have observed that lately, just in the midst of the candidates’ nomination period, the NEC decided to hold a strategic dialogue with political parties on the implementation of the Minimum 30 percent gender quota.
According to a statement issued in Monrovia, signed by LCC’s Secretary General, Christopher Toe, and CAPDOG’s Executive Director, Domah Cooper, there seems to be no real evidence of efforts by the NEC to ensure that these agreements are adhered to by parties that signed them.
Therefore, they are urging the Commission to remain vigilant on this matter stating that at the beginning of the candidate nomination period, the NEC should have commenced the evoking of the signed MoU on the ‘at least 30 percent’ gender quota.
“We observed that at the beginning of candidate nomination period and within the opening of the process’s remark by the Chairperson of the NEC, there appeared to be no engagement with political parties or reminding them of their commitments to upholding the 30 percent male or female gender quota,” the statement noted.
As of yet, it pointed out that NEC has not posted the notarized copy on its website, adding, “Neither has the NEC served political parties that signed the MoU their notarized copies. We will continue engaging further with the appropriate NEC authority on this matter, as well as with political parties to adhere to the MoU they signed.”
LCC and CAPDOG however, thank the NEC and political parties for the Tuesday, July 4 strategic dialogue on the Minimum 30 percent gender quota and anticipate the NEC’s acceptance of political parties’ nomination lists to be first based on the MoU they signed, pointing out that the gender and elections coordinating groups set up by the NEC in each of the fifteen counties of Liberia formulate measures that would effectively bring about women’s participation both as electorate and candidates during the 2017 Elections are not functional.
“We are calling on the gender department of the NEC to reactivate them as quickly as possible to train them and work with them to monitor VAWIE across Liberia for the 2023 elections,” the release noted.
The two bodies said they have availed themselves for constructive partnership with the NEC and the Supreme Court so as to ensure credibility and confidence in the 2023 presidential and legislative elections, generating trust in political parties, candidates, and voters over the conduct of electoral processes and complaint proceedings.
“We call on all individual and collective support for our efforts to sustain Liberia’s long-gained peace through the conduct of gender-sensitive, credible, and peaceful 2023 Presidential and Legislative elections,” the statement said.
