An observation mission of the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) in Liberia has denied claims of receiving an alleged bribe to give elections in the West African country a clean bill of health.
The claim against the monitors was made on Friday by a spokesperson of the Unity Party whose presidential candidate, former vice president Joseph Boakai, finished second in the first round of the presidential election.
Voters are due to cast ballots in a presidential runoff on November 14 between incumbent George Weah and Boakai after none of the 20 candidates in the first round secured the required votes to win outright.
The Ecowas mission ''noted with regret'' the claims that it ''had been influenced by USD 150,000'' describing the allegations as ''reckless.''
'Complete neutrality'
"(The mission) takes strong exception to this scurrilous statement which puts at risk the safety and physical integrity of the Ecowas observers," it said in a statement on Saturday.
It assured of its "complete neutrality" and urged the leadership of the Unity Party to denounce the statement by the campaign spokesperson.
President Weah is seeking a second and final term in office. He garnered 43.79% of the votes in the first round, while his closest rival in the race, 78-year-old Boakai, won 43.49% of the ballots, according to the National Electoral Commission.
The vote is the first to be held since the United Nations ended its peacekeeping mission in Liberia in 2018.
ECOWAS, an organisation of 15 West African countries, has since 2020 been faced with a series of political crises in the region, including military coups in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Niger.
