By Charles Mgbolu
Liberia's turbulent history of civil wars and general uncertainty looms over its political landscape as voters head to the hustings on October 10 to choose a president, 15 senators, and 73 members of the House of Representatives.
The elections are pivotal for this war-ravaged country along the coast of Western Africa as it battles to overcome sluggish economic growth and aspires to raise the standard of living for millions of Liberians.
But much to the consternation of observers, there have been indications of the polls being mired in the possibility of violence.
"We are concerned about reported instances of election-related violence, use of language that could amount to hate speech, and attacks on journalists in Liberia ahead of the general election on October 10," the United Nations mentions on its website, days before the elections.
According to Seif Magango, spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office in Liberia, the sense of apprehension stems from violent clashes between supporters of the opposition Unity Party and the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change in September.
At least two people died, and 20 others were wounded at Foya in Lofa County of Northern Liberia.
Winds of change
President George Weah, a former international footballer, is running for office again under the Coalition for Democratic Change with the renewed promise of achieving the goals he had set for himself and Liberia when he first announced his candidature in 2017.
Weah won his maiden presidential election in the second round by garnering 61.5% of the vote, defeating Joseph Boakai of the Unity Party.
Since that electoral triumph, he has had to repeatedly contend with critics who insist that Liberia continues to struggle.
Statistics bear out the naysayers. The United Nations Development Programme classifies 52.3 per cent of Liberia's population as "multidimensionally poor".
Weah has also struggled to weed out corruption within his inner circle, with the US imposing sanctions on three officials, including the President's chief of staff, Nathaniel McGill, for allegedly misappropriating state assets. Weah fired these officials despite their denying any wrongdoing.
In 2018, a Liberian court issued arrest warrants against more than 30 former central bank officials over the alleged misappropriation of more than US $104 million in public money.
Multiple contenders
Weah is up against 19 opponents this time, with Alexander Cummings, a businessman, and Taiwan Gongloe, a human rights lawyer, joining the face of the opposition, Joseph Boakai, of the Unity Party as his main rivals. Each hopes to nudge dissatisfied Liberians and undecided voters to their side.
But as a country segregated along party lines, the tension leading up to the polls is beginning to lapse into violence.
"There have been outbreaks of electoral violence in Nimba, Montserrado, and Grand Cape Mount counties, with eight attacks on journalists by various political actors, two of which led to injuries," the UN website mentions.
"The government must ensure journalists can do their jobs freely and safely. All political actors must refrain from inciting violence or hatred," it says.
Kris Kieh, a Liberia-based journalist, isn't so sure, given the climate of mistrust.
"Journalists are attacked because politicians think we are using our profession to attack or criticise their work," he tells TRT Afrika.
"Independent journalists are particularly targeted because of their investigative reports, which politicians say have been weaponised to destroy their reputation. They are doing everything to silence us."
Public anxiety
Concerns about violence have percolated from journalists covering the elections to ordinary Liberians watching what they see and hear on the news with trepidation.
"How can you speak of economic development and growth when you do not have peace?" says Monrovia resident Sam Goncolo.
"This is all I ask for from the government, outgoing and incoming. We cannot work and find our wealth as a nation without peace. We must be able to maintain peace, regardless of our political differences," he tells TRT Afrika.
For their part, President Weah and his leading opponent, Joseph Boaka, have condemned the violence, reminding supporters at campaign rallies that there is no legal justification for violence, irrespective of the situation.
Main poll planks
Weah's campaign hinges on a semblance of macroeconomic stability in Liberia despite global headwinds from the war in Ukraine, high inflation, and depressed demand in advanced economies, according to the World Bank.
Mining and agriculture drove the expansion, while growth in the agricultural sector accelerated to 5.9% from 3.3% in 2021 due to increased rice and cassava production.
But Boaka argues that the growth has yet to be tangible enough to be explicitly felt by people living in rural Liberia. If elected, he promises to create visible change for farmers in his first 100 days in office.
The National Elections Commission has accredited 46 parties ahead of the polls, with more than 2.4 million voters registered for the electoral exercise everyone hopes will create the engine of growth Liberia desperately seeks.
