Tuesday, 10 October 2023

1pm Washington D.C.
5pm Monrovia
6pm London / Lagos / Kinshasa
7pm Paris / Cape Town
8pm Nairobi / Cairo

Liberia 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

Moderation