Stand Says Liberia Cannot Wait Until 2029 To Defend The Ballot

MONROVIA – Liberia’s 2029 elections may be more than three years away, but the Solidarity and Trust for a New Day, STAND, says the battle for electoral credibility has already begun, warning that democratic safeguards must be protected long before citizens arrive at polling stations.

The civil society organization issued the warning Tuesday as Liberia joined countries around the world in marking the International Day of Democracy. STAND Chairman Mulbah K. Morlu Jr. used the occasion to call for greater vigilance over the institutions, laws and civic freedoms that will shape the environment in which Liberia’s next general elections are conducted.

Rather than focusing solely on election day, STAND’s statement concentrates on what happens between elections. It argues that the conditions for a credible vote are established years before ballots are printed, polling stations open and citizens begin casting their votes.

For STAND, the question is whether Liberia’s institutions can maintain sufficient independence and public confidence to guarantee that political competition in 2029 takes place under rules that citizens and competing parties consider credible.

The National Elections Commission is central to that question. Jonathan K. Weedor now leads the electoral body after being confirmed by the Senate in June and formally commissioned by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai on September 8. The NEC describes Weedor as a veteran electoral administrator who previously spent more than 16 years at the Commission between 2004 and 2020.

STAND nevertheless says Weedor’s previous professional relationship with the Unity Party deserves continued public attention. The organization argues that because the NEC is responsible for administering elections involving the same political actors, questions about perceived conflicts of interest must be addressed openly rather than dismissed.

Available reporting provides additional context. A report published in April said the Unity Party Alliance contracted CEDEM, an election consultancy associated with Weedor, in 2023 to recruit, train and deploy poll watchers and party agents. The report said the engagement was a consultancy arrangement and not evidence that Weedor was a Unity Party member.

The issue therefore becomes one of public confidence and institutional safeguards. Even where a professional relationship is lawful, electoral institutions must maintain procedures that assure competing parties and voters that decisions are made impartially.

That challenge comes at a time when the NEC is already planning extensively for the next electoral cycle. The Commission launched a 2026 to 2030 strategic plan on September 2 with a proposed investment of more than US$75 million in electoral transformation. The plan includes institutional strengthening, modernization, operational improvements and measures aimed at increasing public confidence.

Weedor has also called for sustained investment in electoral technology and stronger public engagement, saying these measures are necessary to improve the administration of credible, transparent and inclusive elections.

STAND’s concern is that technical preparations alone cannot guarantee democratic legitimacy. An election may have functioning technology, trained staff and established procedures, yet still face public distrust if citizens believe institutions are politically influenced or if civic freedoms are restricted.

That is why the organization has placed freedom of expression and assembly, police conduct and the role of state security alongside electoral independence in its International Day of Democracy statement.

The group pointed to Kinjor, where three people were reported killed during a confrontation surrounding protests in February 2024, as part of the history that should inform Liberia’s approach to policing demonstrations and protecting citizens.

STAND also referenced other political and institutional disputes, including controversies involving the Legislature, allegations of corruption, tenure issues and the treatment of political dissent. It presents these issues as part of a larger concern about the ability of public institutions to operate within constitutional limits.

The organization is therefore calling for peaceful civic engagement rather than waiting for a political crisis to emerge during the election period.

Its message to civil society, journalists, professional groups, students, faith leaders and young people is that democratic participation must continue throughout the electoral cycle.

That position places a responsibility on all sides of Liberia’s political system. Government institutions have a responsibility to respect constitutional rights and demonstrate impartiality. Electoral authorities must maintain transparency and equal treatment. Political parties must participate peacefully and respect electoral rules. Civil society and the media must scrutinize public institutions through lawful civic engagement and accurate reporting. Citizens, meanwhile, must remain informed and participate in democratic processes.

The NEC has already emphasized continuous voter education, arguing that civic awareness should not be limited to election periods. It has also been engaging political parties, civil society and media organizations as part of its efforts to strengthen electoral communication and participation.

That means the democratic contest for 2029 is already underway in an institutional sense, even though candidates and campaigns may be far from the formal election period.

STAND’s warning is built around that reality. The organization says Liberians should not wait until 2029 to ask whether their electoral institutions are independent, whether citizens can assemble peacefully, whether journalists can report freely or whether political competition is being conducted on equal terms.

Those questions, it argues, must be answered through institutional conduct now.

The significance of the debate extends beyond any single political party or administration. Electoral institutions are national institutions, and confidence in them has consequences for whichever political forces compete for power.

STAND therefore says the protection of democracy cannot be treated as the responsibility of one organization. It is calling for peaceful participation by citizens and civic institutions to ensure that constitutional protections remain intact throughout the current political cycle.