Liberia's Elections Conducted Fairly, U.S. Delegation Says

U.S. observers congratulate Liberian people on peaceful, organized election

The U.S. delegation that observed the Liberian elections on October 11 "saw well-equipped and well-organized voting operations conducted by Liberian election officials, who implemented voting procedures fairly and accurately," according to a preliminary assessment released October 13 by the Department of State.The high-level delegation, headed by Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer, observed the voting, vote reconciliation, and counting process throughout the day at numerous polling stations in several counties. Accredited observers from the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia observed election activities. In the elections, an estimated 1.3 million registered voters were asked to choose from more than 20 candidates for the presidency and from more than 700 candidates for Liberia's two chambers of congress.The elections were a crucial part of the Liberian peace agreement brokered by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which brought an end to 14 years of civil war in the West African country. They were Liberia’s first elections since the end of that civil war.The American delegation was in Liberia as part of the U.S. commitment to support democracy in the country, which was founded by freed slaves from the United States.