-urges candidates to submit their campaign schedules.
The National Elections Commission (NEC) has urged all political parties and candidates that are to participate in the October 10, 2023 legislative and presidential elections, to ensure full compliance with the 2023 Farmington River Declaration.
The Farmington River Declaration was signed on 4 April 2023 and 21 July 2023 by Registered Political Parties and Independent Candidates respectively, with a commitment to ensure a peaceful conduct of the elections.
In a release dated Friday, August 11, 2023, the Commission encouraged political actors to confine in the agreement, and do all they can to maintain the existing peace before, during and after the October 10, 2023 general elections.
“For the love of our country, we urge all candidates to ensure that Liberia is free from all forms of election violence during this campaign period”.
At the same time, the National Elections Commission (NEC), has noted that all parties/candidates who have not submitted their schedules, are requested to do so on or before Thursday, August 17, 2023.
For Presidential candidates, campaign schedule is to be submitted to the office of theChairperson of theNEC, 9th Street, Monrovia, Liberia.
Representative and Senatorial Candidates have been instructed by the Commission to submit all schedules at its Magisterial Offices in the Counties.
“The 2023 Campaign Guidelines (Submission of Campaign Schedule) require a party/candidate to notify the commission, in writing no later than 7 days before the commencement of campaign activities, of its schedule of campaign stating the date, time, and venue,” it says.
In keeping with the key electoral dates Published by the National Elections Commission (NEC), also emphasized that the Campaign Activities for the 2023 General Elections run from 5 August 2023 to 8 October 2023.
The National Elections Commission (NEC) on Saturday, 5, 2023 officially declared the October 10, 2023 general elections campaign open. Sadly, this is being responded to with a horrific reactions, as supporters of especially the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and the former ruling Unity Party (UP), have been engage with different forms of violence.
On Saturday, August 5, 2023, supporters of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) paraded the streets with a casket with an image of the standard bearer of the former ruling Unity Party (UP), Amb. Joseph Nyumah Boakai.
This, which many the President, ECOWAS, the CDC in general and Liberians condemned, was not only awkward to be seen, but it was also enraged with an influence to undermine commitment made by the parties through the Farmington Declaration.
In what that appeared as a counter reaction to this, some supporters in parts of Sinkor and central Monrovia later r these same day, were seen parading the streets, singing “We don’t want kush”, a harmful substance that has killed tens of young Liberians, and maltreated and left others mad.
Simultaneously, on Thursday, August 10, 2023, Old road, district #10, Montserrado County was in an uproar, after an alleged attack by the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change, on several of it’s supporters, who were heading to their new ” Rescue Mission” Campaign headquarter in New Airfield, in the Old Immigration building in district#9.
The alleged attack by CDC on the escorts of Amb. Boakai left at least four persons severely wounded, while several others survived brutality.
However, as tempers flared, egos clashed, and emotions reached a boiling point that led to the cutting of the ear of a young man who identified himself as a supporter of the ruling CDC, by supporters of the former ruling Unity Party.
Amid allegations by the former ruling party that pointed to the CDC, the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) hastily refuted the allegations.
