MFWA observes Liberia Election

Accra, Oct, 11, GNA - The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and its partners under the West Africa Human Rights and Democratization (WARHD) Alliance are in Monrovia to observe Liberia’s general elections slated for tomorrow, October 11, 2011.

The WAHRD Alliance is a partnership between the MFWA and two other Accra-based regional organizations, the Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA) and the West African Network for Peacebuilding, (WANEP), which is funded by IBIS – West Africa, a Danish NGO.

A statement in Accra on Monday signed by Prof Kwame Karikari, Executive Director of MFWA, it was the second election project of the WARHD Alliance since its formation after working extensively in the three Northern regions of Ghana during the 2008 election.

“As part of the MFWA-WAHRD project in Liberia, MFWA in June 2011 trained the political communicators of the five main parties contesting this general election and the media on the need, and how, to use decent and non-violent language on public communication platforms including the media to ensure a peaceful election in a post-conflict Liberia.”

The statement named the beneficiary parties as Liberty Party (LP), Unity Party (UP), National Democratic Coalition (NDC), Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) and the National Union for Democratic Progress (NUDP).

“Apart from observing the election, MFWA will monitor the media and political party communicators on their language use on radio, television and newspapers during the election week and also record cases of the use of abusive language on the airwaves by political party communicators and media practitioners.”

It would also monitor the general conduct of the media during the elections, the statement added.

The MFWA is a regional independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Accra. It was founded in 1997 to defend and promote the rights and freedom of the media and all forms of expression.