Former Zambian Vice President, Nevers Sekwila Mumba, has been tapped to lead the Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) of the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), which has deployed long term and short-term teams of observers to Liberia.
Mumba recently headed the Southern African Development Community Electoral Observer Mission to Zimbabwe where his team became the first SADC observer mission to call out shortcomings in the electoral processes in the just-ended August elections.
EISA is a not-for-profit organization promoting credible elections, citizen participation, and strong political institutions for sustainable democracy in Africa.
Its missions have in the past been led by former presidents and technical experts including former presidents Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria, John Dramani Mahama (Ghana), Caasam Uteem (Mauritius).
In an exclusive interview with VOA Zimbabwe Service’s Blessing Zulu, Mumba said he would be working alongside observers from the African Union and ECOWAS to ensure that nation conducts credible elections.
Meanwhile, a United Nations Human Rights Office spokesperson in Liberia, Seif Magango, has raised concern with reports of pre-election violence. In a statement, Magango said, “We are concerned by reported instances of election-related violence, use of language that could amount to hate speech, and attacks on journalists in Liberia ahead of the general election on 10 October.”
Violent clashes between supporters of the opposition Unity Party and the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) last month left at least two people dead and 20 others injured in Foya, Lofa County.
The UN says there have also been outbreaks of electoral violence in Nimba, Montserrado and Grand Cape Mount counties. Eight attacks on journalists by various political actors, two of which led to injuries, have been documented by the United Nations.
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