Words Hannah Pool Pictures Saran K Jones
Polls closed in Liberia yesterday after a calm, peaceful and exciting day’s voting as the country went to the polls in what promises to be a closely fought presidential election.
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf may have just been awarded a Nobel Peace Prize, erased $5bn of foreign debt and brought investors back to the west African country, butMa Ellen (as she’s affectionately known) faces stiff competition from Winston Tubman, the candidate from the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) party.
ARISE spoke to Saran K Jones, founder and executive director of FACE Africa, which campaigns for clean water and empowerment of women in Liberia, direct fromthe Liberian capital, Monrovia. where she has been observing the elections. Jones, who also opened the ARISE Made in Africa show at New York Fashion Week last month, gave us a picture of what's been happening on the ground:
Hi Saran, can you describe the atmosphere/mood in Liberia?
Election day on Tuesday was relatively quiet and calm especially in comparison to the rallies that were held on Friday October 7th and Sunday the 9th where tens of thousands of Liberians crowded the streets of Monrovia to campaign and show support for their candidates. [On Tuesday] all businesses were closed, traffic flowed freely and the streets were deserted for the most part. There were sporadic gatherings at and around polling stations. I visited 12 different polling stations around Monrovia and the scene was the same everywhere. Everything was well organised and ran smoothly without any incidents. Voters were quite cordial and orderly. A big plus for democracy in Liberia!
Is the turnout surprising?
Not surprising at all. Despite the rain during the early hours, voters turned out in record numbers to cast their votes. This was an important election for Liberia and I think Liberians were ready to use their voice and power to usher in a new era of democratic values after paying a very high price with the war.
What’s the most inspiring voting story you've heard?
There were quite a few but mainly witnessing and being a part of what I consider to be a historic moment in modern Liberian history. All eyes were on Liberia yesterday, and have been for a week or two now. Proving to the world that we are capable of organising and conducting our elections in a peaceful and democratic matter is rather telling.
At a few of the polling stations I visited, people were allowing pregnant women, the elderly and disabled people to cut ahead of lines and cast their votes. This may not seem that shocking to those of us who live or have lived in Western countries but for Liberia, a touching scene. Here's an interesting one: I spoke with a young man at a voting station who had his voter's registration card in hand but decided that he was not going to cast his vote. When I asked why, he said, "because I voted the last time and nothing has changed for me. Not a single thing. She [Sirleaf] has not done anything that has helped me and therefore does not deserve my vote. None of them deserve my vote." This highlights the huge discontent and frustration of most Liberian who have not seen any major change in their day-to-day lives since the war ended six years ago.
What do you think will happen?
It is going to be a very close race between Winston Tubman's party and Madam Sirleaf's ruling Unity Party. We will have a runoff since I don't believe any candidate will receive 50 per cent of votes in the first round. In my opinion I think a runoff will be bad news for the president. It will put her in an extremely tough situation since most of the other candidates will likely sway their voters towards Tubman and Weah. And let's not discredit the psychological impact a run off could have on her supporters.
What do you hope will happen?
I hope the rest of the process will go as peacefully as it started. I hope the entire process from start to finish is free and fair and the results are accepted by the losing party without any unrest or violence. I hope the best person for Liberia wins and I hope whoever that is will continue to work to maintain the peace and take advantage of the foundation that was laid during the president's first term to speed up growth and development.
Why is Liberia so important to you?
I was born in Liberia and left when I was eight years old, right before the civil war began in 1989. I came back in 2008 after almost 20 years, saw the need and decided to do what I can in my own small way to contribute to the rebuilding process. I currently live in Boston, Massachusetts, and run a nonprofit [FACE Africa] that funds and supports clean water, sanitation and hygiene projects in Liberia, while empowering young girls and women through education and skills training.
Initial election results are expected later today, with the final results announced on October 26. If required, a second round will be held on November 8.
Pictured An Ellen Sirleaf Johnson supporter shows her colours