After three days of intensive briefings and preparations in Monrovia the EU Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) in Liberia has deployed all 20 long-term-observers and drivers into the regions of Liberia. Ten woman and ten men from 20 different European countries are observing the Presidential and House of Representatives Elections in all 15 Liberian counties.

Challenging working conditions

Some regions in the North and East of Liberia are extremely remote that observers reached their duty stations only after 48 hours. The infrastructure in several regions is limited and the election observing tasks will remain a big challenge for the EU observers. 

“The EU EOM will assess the elections according to Liberia’s national law and the international commitments it has made regarding elections. It will focus on the entire electoral process, including the legal framework, electoral administration, voter registration, nominations, campaigning, the conduct of the media, voting and the counting, the tally of results and dispute resolution mechanisms”, explains Deputy Chief Observer Alessandro Parziale. 

Code of Conduct

All EU EOM observers are bound by a code of conduct, which requires strict neutrality and non-interference. The EU EOM undertakes its work in accordance with the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation. It will publish its initial findings in a preliminary statement, which will be presented in a press conference shortly after election day. A Final Report with recommendations to the public will be presented at a later stage.