Liberia: West Point’s Paradigm on Curbing Electoral Violence

The National Election Commission (NEC) has been accused by the township of West Point of failing to implement policies that would inform voters about election violence.

According to Willian Wea, West Point township commissioner, the NEC has not raised awareness of voter registration and campaign activities, especially for first-time voters. 

“NEC needs to do more,” Wea added. “One of the things we have experienced over time is that there is not much voter education. On the field of play, we have the political parties [and] NEC remains the referee. We are not seeing them on the field, only the political parties are visible in the community.”

“We are also aware that each political party’s headquarters should be a distance from another but, in our case, one man to this other room, one man to this other room; he put his speakers outside, this other man put his speaker outside,” he noted. 

Wea added that even with the poor visibility of NEC, they have been able to manage internal elections by engaging political parties through their respective heads.

“As a community, one thing we have done over time is our ability to manage the community and so we don’t have that internal fight as a community when it comes to political activities but, again, the community is also mindful of what the politicians come to do with their messages.”

West Point is the largest seaside informal settlement in Monrovia with approximately 50,000 residents. It hosts thousands of people from rural areas, the majority of whom settled there during the country’s 14-year civil war.

Many of them do not have regular jobs, making them susceptible to politicians and their campaign messages, and activities.

West Point has for many decades been characterized by inadequate housing and squalid living conditions. Various quarters of the township are often overcrowded, with many people crammed into very small living spaces with homes built without any urban planning or adherence to zoning regulations.

“NEC should use our various high schools to educate first-time voters or even people who have voted,” said Alfred V. Coleman, a resident and Registrar of the NV Massaquoi Junior High School in West Point. 

According to him, even though there are rumors that NEC is incapacitated to fully function, they have banned political parties from using their premises for campaign activities.

When contacted for responses, Henry Flomo, NEC Director of Communications number was unavailable. 

Ahead of the October 10, presidential and general election polling day, initiatives such as the Women’s Situation Room (WSR), which aims to promote a peaceful and inclusive electoral process in the country, has selected West Point as one of those communities to provide awareness to citizens.

“Your pa and ma can tell you who to vote for.  Your vote is confidential,” Cllr. Yvette Chesson-Wureh, the Coordinator for the Angie Brooks International Centre urged the residents. 

“Remember that when you go in that voting room, only you and God — nobody is going to be in that room — only you and God. So don’t cause [any] confusion. Somebody says vote for this party but you say I want this other party, just walk away; no fuss. When you go in the voting room, only you will be.”

The Women’s Situation Room, a  concept initiated in 2011 by Cllr. Chesson-Wureh, the Coordinator for the Angie Brooks International Centre, an NGO specializing in women’s rights, empowerment, and leadership, has been adopted by the African Union as a unique mechanism that seeks to prevent conflict before, during, and after elections.

It serves as a neutral space where women can monitor the electoral process, mitigate tensions, and mediate disputes.  The WSR ensures that women’s voices are heard and their concerns addressed, ultimately fostering a more inclusive and peaceful electoral environment.

With funding from UNDP, the European Union, the Peacebuilding Fund, and ECOWAS, the third edition of the Women Situation Room was launched recently to promote civic and voter education and community engagement to promote a peaceful electoral environment and community security.

Titled, “Learn from the Expert and Ask Questions about your Rights and Responsibilities During the October Elections”, the awareness is being carried out on a bus called “Talking Bus” to enable citizens to ask questions about the electoral process.