ECOWAS deploys long-term election observers for the 2023 Presidential Election Runoff in Liberia.

The outgoing president George Weah, in search of a second six-year term, who won 804,087 votes, or 43.83 percent, and former Vice President Joseph Boakai, who finished second with 796,961 votes, or 43.44 percent, will be the two candidates running for the Runoff on 14 November 2023 in Liberia.

In order to continue following the critical stages of the Liberian 2023 Presidential Election Runoff, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has deployed a team of long-term electoral observers (LTO) in several counties of Liberia since 7 November.

Made up of experts in Elections Administration, Political Affairs, Gender and Civil Society, Constitutional Law, Security and the Media, the LTOs who were deployed in the country from 11th September to 18th October for the October 10 polls will continue their assignment as an early warning mechanism for preventive diplomacy.

The long-term electoral experts will be reinforced from 9 November 2023, by 80 of their short-term colleagues from the ECOWAS Council of Wise Men, the CEDEAO Parliament, the Community Court of Justice, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of ECOWAS’ Member States, electoral management bodies and civil society organizations.

As in the first round, Professor Attahiru Jega, former president of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), will lead the ECOWAS observation mission (EOM) for the second round.

Note that the deployment of the Lto for the runoff, approved by Dr Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, was made under the provisions of Articles 12 to 14 of the ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance of 2001, as assistance to Member States holding elections.