By: Edzorna Francis Mensah
Ho West MP, who is member of the Committee responsible for Legal and Human Rights at the ECOWAS Region, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah has advised members of the Liberian Elections Management Board to act as neutral arbiters by engaging all political parties on a level playing field as the country readies for a crucial election in October 2023.
Kwasi Bedzrah was part of an eight-member delegation of ECOWAS MPs, selected by the Speaker to visit Liberia and assess the situation on early warning signals and triggers of conflict ahead of campaigns towards the country’s October 2023 General Elections.
Upon arrival in Liberia, the team paid a courtesy call on the ECOWAS Resident Representative Ambassador, Josephine Nkrumah and the Directors of Liberian National Centre for Coordinating Early Warning and Response Mechanisms (NCCEWRM) to find out about any triggers before next year’s election.
The delegation also had a meeting with the Chief Justice and Supreme Court Justices of Liberia, Members of the Senate Committee on National Security and the leadership of the National Assembly of Liberia (President pro tempore of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives)
In the late hours of Thursday, October 26, 2022, the team paid a courtesy call on the Inspector General of Police of Liberia and later visited the Chairperson and Board Members of the National Elections Commission of Liberia.
The team also paid a courtesy call on the President of Liberia, George Weah and held discussions that saw the Liberian Vic President also in attendance.
Speaking to Journalists after their closed-door meetings with stakeholders, Mr. Bedzrah indicated that the team was in Liberia to ensure a sound environment for peaceful General Election in 2023.
He added that the team held several meetings with stakeholders including the public and the political parties with standard bearers in Liberia as part of their efforts to ensure peaceful, free and fair elections next year.
He advised the Electoral Commission that “the Elections Management Boards should not be talking as politicians but to communicate with all stakeholders in order to win their trust”.
Mr. Bedzrah urged the public and the political party leaders and the security agencies to cooperate with all relevant stakeholders to ensure a peaceful electoral process.