The update outlines the findings of the Elections Coordinating Committee (ECC) observation of the primaries of political parties and coalitions from May 11 to July 5 and the candidate nomination process from June 14 to July 14, 2023. ECC deployed 34 LTOs- 19 county coordinators and 15 electoral district observers across the 15 counties to observe the primaries of political parties and coalitions and 2 observers at the Candidate Nomination Center This ECC update covers the parties’ primaries observed and the candidate nomination process.
Overall, political party primaries observed were peacefully conducted, with few instances of tension or disagreement reported. In addition, observers reported that the primaries observed were well organized and organizers appeared to be knowledgeable about the conduct of the events. It was also noted that a low percentage of women candidates participated in the primary events. ECC observers’ reports show a lower percentage of women who won the primaries.
Findings
Only six of the 35 registered political parties and coalition conducted primaries that were observed by the ECC. They included the All-Liberian Coalition Party (ALCOP), Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), Liberian People’s Party (LPP), Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR), Unity Party (UP), and Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), have held primaries or endorsement events, observed by the ECC. While the ECC notes that the CPP and UP organized endorsement events rather than the expected primary election, results from other parties and coalitions that held primary elections show that the principal mode of candidate selection was by white ballot, meaning the candidates ran unopposed.
