Presidential and Parliamentary Elections 2005 
 
Archive Issues and Articles 
 


 
N.E.C.
 
Elections November 8
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf President Elect of Liberia
  
The race between former soccer star George Weah ('King George') and veteran politician Ellen Johnson Sirleaf ('The Iron Lady')
 
Elections October 11
President / VP
Senate  
House of Repr.
 
We need a leader with experience to create a new Liberia
Presidential candidate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf August 10, 2005
   
Liberia 2005:
The road to democracy
   
Comments foreign media
 
Comments Liberian media
    
Liberia Makes History Again
The Inquirer (Monrovia)
Message contains abundant information on Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's
educational background, professional experience and political activities.
November 23, 2005

 

Taylor's grand scheme exposed:  
The Analist April 26, 2005
   
The Washington Post April 25, 2005
A Protected Friend of Terrorism: 
The Bush administration is touting the rule of law and democracy as priorities in its effort to create stability and defeat terrorism. Yet it remains curiously apathetic about the activities of one of the world's most notorious indicted war criminals, a man who is also an abettor of al Qaeda and Hezbollah. I am speaking of former Liberian president Charles Taylor, who has not only escaped answering for his crimes so far but who may be given an opportunity to repeat them if the United States does not act.
(Douglas Farah)

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We are taken aback!

"Mr. James Fromoyan, Co-Chairman of NEC, disclosed that the commission was facing a number of obstacles that may mar the smooth conduct of the October polls.

(...)

he lamented the delay in the procurement of electoral materials which is supposed to be undertaken by UNMIL.

(...)

The lack of logistics at this point of the implementation of the NEC guidelines and timetable must be a cause for concern that must force NEC and those responsible for logistics and funding back to the drawing board. In Accra, it was clear that a free, fair, and transparent election paid for, supervised, and certified by the United Nations, and the donor and human right communities is the only vehicle that will take Liberians back to civility, peace, and democracy.

(...)
   
One thing is clear, and we demand it: No one shouldcontemplate a replay of 1997 for God's sake, if not for the sake of humanity. The Liberian people are human beings; they are not guinea pigs for today's dollar diplomacy that emphasizes employment for individuals who have very little or no regard for the sanctity of human life. Like we said in our previous editorials, those who pledged to fund this election must buckle up and stop relying on the widow's mite of the NTGL that is struggling to hold its balance.

Another thing is the election we are talking about is not a mere chit in a calendar of events; it is the finale and the deciding fact between stability and continued chaos in Liberia. Do you remember Somalia, Uganda, Angola, and Burundi after their post- war elections? Well their stories are more than instructive for Liberia."

More: The Analyst

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Dr. Amos Sawyer calls for postponement

Dr. Amos Sawyer, former interim president calls for the postponement of the 2005 Elections - pleads for the extension of the term of the Gyude Bryant interim government (August 2004). More

'I do not think Mr. Sawyer's call is in the interest of Liberia at this time.' - Mr. Nat Galarea Gbessagee former high ranking civil servant, Liberia (September 2004). More

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Liberia could have at least 26 registered political parties before the October 2005 General and Presidential Elections. Already there are 18 registered political parties in the country and more than 30 presidential candidates, including George Weah

The National Elections Commission (NEC)
says it has received applications from about ten additional proposed political parties. The growing number of parties is a cause for concern; there have been calls for the reduction of political parties as well as the number of presidential aspirants taking into consideration the size and population of Liberia. (Elca.org)

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The United Nations Security Council has renewed all its trade sanctions on Liberia, extending a ban on timber exports until after the country's first post-war elections in October 2005, but raising the possibility that a ban on diamond exports may be lifted beforehand. 
Its ban on arms exports to Liberia was extended for a further year. 
More: AllAfrica.com

After determining that Taylor's government had backed rebels in Sierra Leone, the Security Council approved arms and diamond embargoes and a travel ban in May 2001.
In May 2003, the council approved a one-year extension of the arms and diamond embargoes and the travel ban. It added a new ban on the timber trade which took effect July 2003. Still in June 2004 the UN Security Council decided that peace is still too fragile to lift sanctions.
More: Associated Press

 

 

 

 

 
   
 

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