Jega, Mbari lead ECOWAS, AU pre-election fact-finding mission to Liberia

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) have dispatched a joint fact-finding mission to Liberia before the Presidential and Legislative elections set for October 10, 2023 to evaluate Liberia’s readiness for the upcoming polls.

This is contained in a statement Sunday night from ECOWAS.

“The 23-29 July mission is being co-led by Prof. Attahiru Jega, former Chairman of the Independent Nigerian Electoral Commission (INEC) of Nigeria for ECOWAS, and Ambassador Calixte Mbari, Head of Democracy, Elections and Constitutionalism of the African Union Commission,” the statement said.

Other members of the mission are Ambassador Haja Alari Cole, member of the ECOWAS Council of the Wise; Ms Jean Mensa, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana; and Mr Elyse Ouedraogo, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission of Burkina Faso.

Others are Muhammad Sulaiman Isa, Deputy Ambassador of Nigeria to ECOWAS; Dr Cyriaque Agnekethom, ECOWAS Director of Peacekeeping and Regional Security; as well as a joint technical team from the ECOWAS and AU Commissions.

The statement added that “The joint delegation will hold working sessions with various stakeholders in the electoral process in Liberia, including the Government, National Elections Commission, the Judiciary, Parliament, Political Parties, Civil Society Organizations, Security Agencies and International Development Partners.

“At the end of its engagements, the Mission will submit a comprehensive report that will inform the support of ECOWAS and AU to the 2023 electoral process in Liberia.”

Both organizations also provided similar support to the country during its last elections in 2017.