November 18, 2021 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Xav Flowers, xflowers@democracyinternational.com

MONROVIA, LIBERIA – Democracy International (DI) congratulates the people of Liberia for their peaceful participation during the November 16, 2021, House of Representatives by-elections conducted in Bomi, Bong, Grand Gedeh, and Nimba Counties. We applaud the National Elections Commission (NEC) and NEC polling staff members for their effective and professional administration of these elections. Amid the persistent COVID-19 pandemic, we observed the NEC and poll workers enforcing health and safety protocols to ensure that voters could safely cast their ballots.

After receiving accreditation from the NEC, DI deployed a total of 18 observers across three electoral districts in Bomi, Bong, and Nimba counties, as well as to the Data Center of the Elections Coordinating Committee (ECC), Liberia’s largest domestic election observation network. The effort was part of the Elections and Democracy Activity (EDA), which is funded by the United States Agency for Development (USAID). EDA observation teams arrived in each county two days ahead of the by-elections to conduct a pre-election assessment of the precincts where they would observe polling. EDA observers checked in with the NEC’s magistrates’ offices and the Liberia National Police county offices and spoke with domestic and international observers, media, and others. On Election Day, the teams observed a total of 110 polling places in 24 precincts. Throughout the day, EDA observation teams noted the presence of accredited international and domestic observers as well as political party agents and representatives of independent candidates at the polls, contributing to the transparency and credibility of these elections. EDA observed Liberian security forces providing security in the polling precincts without any interference at polling places.

Due to the limited scope of this observation mission, DI is unable to offer a comprehensive assessment on these by-elections. DI continues to analyze reports from media outlets and other election observation groups, including EDA partner, the ECC. With support from EDA, the ECC was able to deploy 93 observers across all four counties and oversee the real-time result tallying from its central data center in Monrovia.

Throughout the electoral period, DI repeatedly heard from Liberians—elections administrators and voters alike—of their strong commitment to fair elections, strengthened democracy, and continued peace. We observed women and youth exercising their constitutional rights to vote. We also observed poll workers assisting people with disabilities to access the polling centers and supporting elderly people to cast their ballots. Where EDA was able to observe, the overall process was transparent and followed procedure.

DI calls on the people of Liberia, candidates, and political leaders to respond peacefully to the NEC’s official announcement on the results of these by-elections. We encourage political parties and candidates to use established procedures to report grievances through the electoral dispute resolution mechanism established by the Election Law and the Constitution of Liberia. We call on the NEC to adjudicate complaints in a fair and timely manner and to adhere to the established timeline for the inauguration of newly elected leaders.

Democracy International provides analytical services, technical assistance, and project implementation for democracy, human rights, governance, and conflict mitigation programs worldwide. DI has worked with civil society organizations, political parties, election management bodies, government agencies, legislatures, justice sector institutions, and others in more than 80 countries. Since 2003, DI has organized election observation missions, deployed specialized election study teams, supported citizen observer groups, and advised election management bodies for over 50 elections in more than 20 countries. DI is a signatory to the Declaration of Principles and Code of Conduct for International Election Observation, adopted at the United Nations in 2005.

This press statement is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of Democracy International, Inc. and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.