CIAO DATE: 11/2009
January 2007
Liberians went to the polls in great numbers on October 11 and November 8, 2005, to elect a president, vice president, 30 senators, and 64 representatives. In these first elections since the end of 14 years of civil war, voters across the country demonstrated their commitment to peace and democratic governance. Both elections were widely praised as violence-free, orderly, and well-administered. Throughout the electoral process, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and The Carter Center sought to demonstrate international support for Liberia’s democratic process and to provide Liberians and the international community with an impartial and accurate assessment of the electoral process and the political environment surrounding it. In the pre-election phase, approximately 90 percent of eligible Liberians registered to vote, and 21 political parties and coalitions fielded over 700 candidates to contest the presidential and legislative elections. NDI and The Carter Center organized a pre-election delegation to evaluate the political environment, election preparations, and the level of citizens’ participation in the process. In-country staff, as well as longterm observers (LTOs) fielded by The Carter Center, also contributed to the organizations’ analysis of the period preceding the elections.
Resource link: Observing Presidential and Legislative Elections in Liberia [PDF] - 967K