LIBERIA – Taking cognizance of the growing political tensions in Liberia, the National Civil Society Council of Liberia (NCSCL) has called on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the National Elections Commission (NEC), and political parties to immediately revisit the Farmington River Declaration ahead of the 2023 Presidential and Legislative Elections.
It could be recalled that in June of 2017, 20 of Liberia’s registered political parties signed a declaration, committing themselves to prevent electoral violence, impunity, and injustice and pledging before ECOWAS heads of state.
The actors agreed that whenever political conflicts occurred, they would address said conflicts through mediation or through legal means.
At that declaration duped the “Farmington River Declaration”, the parties committed that their political campaign activities would be conducted in such a manner that would not only preserve but also enhance and maintain the peace and unity of Liberia.
The Council in a release said it believes that a re-visitation of the Farmington River Declaration is a crucial first step ahead of the impending elections in maintaining peace and security and enhancing national unity and reconciliation.
NCSCL noted that going forward; Liberia deserves nothing but a tranquil society full of political tolerance and respect for every actor, regardless of their sides or persuasions.
The Council indicated that the current political climate in Liberia is blurred and heavily inundated with potential threats of conflicts and a heightened sense of violence and chaos that require urgent intervention before the 2023 general and presidential elections are conducted.
“If the rising political tensions are left unattended, this could break beyond measure and produce unimaginable consequences,” said the Council.
The Council maintained that the undesirable interference of the country devil in the 2020 midterm election in Gbarpolu County against senatorial candidate Gboto Kanneh and the senatorial by-elections in Lofa County respectively, the brutalization of members of the Vanguard Student Unification Party (SUP) of the state-run University of Liberia over their “Fix the Country Protest” by fanatics of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and the desperate war of words usually spewed by members of the ruling CDC and the opposition community as key factors that urgently warrant a re-visitation of the Farmington River Declaration before it is too late.
“The past is too dark and dirty and we cannot afford to slip an inch into any form of political chaos anymore,” NCSCL added.
