X/Twitter Space: #LiberiaDecides Election Day Special
Tuesday, 10 October 2023
1pm Washington D.C.
5pm Monrovia
6pm London / Lagos / Kinshasa
7pm Paris / Cape Town
8pm Nairobi / CairoLiberia is often portrayed as a democratic ‘success story’ in Africa. Today, however, many Liberians do not share that positive sentiment. Twenty years of peace was secured in August 2023, and the country is one of only a handful of African states to have experienced two peaceful transfers of power. But that is only half the story. The economy is in tatters and high youth unemployment has led to growing frustration as well as political alienation. Against this backdrop, the lack of political trust in either the ruling party or the National Elections Commission to deliver a credible election is a major concern leading to election day.
Some voters and civil society groups fear a repeat of the Sierra Leonean election – when the electoral commission blatantly inflated the vote for the president in order to avoid a second-round run-off. Others have concerns about acts of political violence, given that these polls will be the first since the departure of the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). Both the opposition and the government have publicly committed to a peaceful process, but this has not been enough to assuage the prevailing concerns of a population with ingrained memories of national trauma of conflict.
Join us for this timely Twitter Space in which we will convene Liberian civil society leaders, election and peace experts, as well as journalists to discuss this consequential election and the steps that need to be taken to safeguard democracy.
Meet our panel
Facia Boyenoh Harris
Facia Boyenoh Harris is a multi-talented journalist, a trained lawyer, and community organizer. She most recently led outreach efforts at Liberia’s Independent Information Commission. She is also the co-founder of Paramount Young Women Initiative, which provides leadership training for the next generation of leaders in the country. In 2022, Facia was awarded the International Women of Courage award in recognition for her lifelong commitment to advancing the rights of women and girls.
Dounard Bondo
Dounard Bondo is a Liberia-based lawyer and journalist who has extensively covered the political situation in Liberia and the lead up to the October 10 election in particular. Over the years, his reporting on human rights, development, and politics has been featured in a range of both domestic and global outlets, including Al Jazeera English, New York Times, and The Africa Report.
Leymah Gbowee
Leymah Gbowee is a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who led the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace, a movement widely credited with helping to bring an end to the Second Liberian Civil War in 2003. Her courageous efforts helped usher in an unprecedented period of peace that enabled a free and fair election in 2005 and helped break the country away from its violent past. Today, she serves as president of the Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa, which provides education and leadership opportunities to women and youth.
Augustine Tamba
Augustine Tamba is the Head of the Secretariat of the Liberia Elections Observation Network (LEON), an independent platform comprised of the four leading civil society organizations committed to monitoring and observing the 2023 election process in Liberia. He was also the previous president of the Federation of Liberian Youth, an NGO that works to uplift the social welfare of Liberian youth.
Moderation
Mantate Mlotshwa
Mantate Mlotshwa is a passionate advocate for the meaningful contribution of women and youth to democracy and governance processes. The Founder of the creative brand U Motle, she has earned a reputation for speaking her mind and promoting positive messages of liberation and emancipation in Zimbabwe and beyond.
Jeffrey Smith
Jeffrey Smith is an award-winning human rights campaigner, social media influencer, and a prolific writer. He is co-creator of The Resistance Bureau and also founding director of Vanguard Africa, a nonprofit organization that partners with visionary African leaders to defend democracy, build campaigns for free and fair elections, and promote ethical leadership.
Nic Cheeseman
Nic Cheeseman is the Professor of Democracy and the Director of the Centre for Elections Democracy Accountability and Representation (CEDAR) at the University of Birmingham. As well as the author of Democracy in Africa and How to Rig an Election, he is the editor of Democracy in Africa, a columnist for Africa Today and the Mail&Guardian, a contributing editor to The Continent, and an election junkie.