The Elections Coordinating Committee (ECC) is pleased to announce a partnership with the United States Agency of International Development (USAID) under the project: “The Liberia Domestic Elections Observation (LIDEO) Activity. The project, which is a Fixed Amount Award from February 28, 2023 – August 28, 2025, is valued at 1,466,745.00 United States Dollars.
The overarching goal of the project is to enhance voter confidence in the electoral processes and results, to the extent warranted, and to mitigate electoral violence and tension, through evidence-based, responsive election observation reporting to the public. This goal is aligned with the ECC’s mission which is to contribute towards transparent, accountable, credible, and sustainable democratic processes in Liberia.
In pursuit of the above goal, the project has two strategic objectives:
Objective One: To Increase transparency and strengthen public confidence – to the extent warranted – in the 2023 voter roll and election process, including the results
Objective Two: To promote the strengthening of Liberia’s electoral practices and legal framework.
In the implementation of activities, the project will adopt a three-pronged approach: The first approach is to increase citizens’ confidence in the electoral process and its outcome through the observation of the various components of the electoral cycle and releasing timely information to the public on the findings. The second approach is stakeholders’ engagements which include establishing and maintaining strategic relationships with diverse stakeholders including NEC, political parties, the security sector, and the media. These engagements are intended to share information, and collective problem-solving and to harness the efforts of all stakeholders to contribute to a free, fair, and credible election. The third approach is electoral reforms advocacy. This will include consultations with stakeholders on reforms that need to take place based on their experience of participating in the 2023 elections as well as the outcomes of the ECC’s observation efforts.
The ECC will deploy 92 Long Term Observers (LTOs) which include 19 County Coordinators and 73 Electoral Districts Supervisors). In addition to the LTOs, the ECC will deploy 1,200 Short Term Observers on election day.
ECC has outlined the following key activities to achieve the strategic objectives outlined above and they include:
Establishing ECC Data Center– ECC will use the Apollo Database Management System which will allow observers to transmit real-time observation data through SMS using coded texts which will be collated and analyzed to produce updates/ reports.
Observation of the Biometric Voter Registration Exercise and the Exhibition including claims and objections
Observation of the primaries of political parties
Observation of the campaign to ensure that political parties and independent candidates are in compliance with the laws and regulations.
Observation of the election day
Observation of the adjudication of electoral petitions
Compilation of comprehensive technical observation report
Electoral Reforms Advocacy
The ECC values the partnership with USAID and extends heartfelt appreciation to the American People for their continuous support to civil society organizations such as the ECC to enable us to provide an independent view and assessment on the credibility of the conduct of elections in Liberia. This helps to sustain and consolidate Liberia’s democratic gains and to improve the quality of our democracy. We will work in close collaboration with international observation groups such as the Electoral Institute of South Africa (EISA) and the Liberia Elections Observation Network (LEON).
We are proud of the trust reposed in us as a partner and we can assure USAID and the taxpayers of America that the resources provided to the ECC will be managed and used in an effective, efficient, professional, and transparent manner.
About ECC:
The Elections Coordinating Committee (ECC) is Liberia’s largest domestic election observation network with diverse competencies, experiences, and expertise in democracy, elections, and governance established since 2010. The ECC comprises of seven-member institutions and networks including the Center for Democratic Governance (CDG); Center for Media Studies and Peace Building (CEMESP); Center for Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding (CECPAP), Institute for Research and Democratic Development (IREDD); Naymote Partners for Democratic Development; West Africa Network for Peace Building (WANEP), and the Women’s NGO Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL). The ECC works in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).