The Carter Centre has announced the deployment of long-term observer teams to launch an international election observation mission for Liberia’s presidential and legislative elections on 11 October 2011. Carter Centre observers will meet regularly with representatives of the National Election Commission (NEC), political parties, independent candidates, civil society organizations, the international community, and domestic election observers to assess electoral preparations and the pre-electoral environment throughout the country, the US-based Centre said in a statement sent to PANA here.

“In a highly-contested electoral environment, we hope that the presence of Carter Centre observers will strengthen the efforts of voters, candidates, parties, and election officials to ensure transparent, credible, and peaceful elections in October,” said the Centre's democracy programme director David Carroll.

Observers will be joined by a larger short-term delegation in October to witness the voting, counting, and tabulation processes.

The Centre's observation mission is conducted in accordance with the Guidelines and Code of Conduct for Observers issued by the NEC, as well as the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and Code of Conduct that was adopted at the UN in 2005 and has been endorsed by 37 election observation groups.

According to the statement, the Carter Centre will assess the electoral process based on Liberia's national legal framework and its obligations for democratic elections contained in regional and international agreements

Invited by NEC to observe the 2011 elections, the Centre also currently works in Liberia on programmes related to access to justice, access to information, and mental health.

Pana 16/09/2011