Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, the President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, lauded Liberia’s recent peaceful elections, which culminated in President George Weah conceding defeat to his opponent, Joseph Boakai, in a close runoff. Touray hailed this outcome as a beacon of hope for West Africa’s democracy, amidst the region’s prevailing political and security challenges.
Addressing the ongoing ECOWAS Parliament’s 2023 Second Ordinary Session in Abuja, Nigeria, Touray commended President Weah for his gracious acceptance of defeat and extended congratulations to the newly elected President Boakai. He underscored the significance of these elections, stating, “The peaceful elections in Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, and Liberia epitomize the resilience of democracy in our sub-region.”
Touray emphasized that the strong showing of opposition parties in these elections underscores the vitality of democracy in the ECOWAS region and demonstrates that change can be achieved through peaceful means, rather than resorting to unconstitutional power grabs. He commended the Liberian people for their exemplary political maturity during the electoral process.
Echoing Touray’s sentiments, Sidie Mohamed Tunis, Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, lauded Liberia’s elections as a shining example of the sub-region’s democratic progress. “I congratulate the people of Liberia for two decades of peace and three successful democratic transitions following 14 years of brutal civil war,” remarked Tunis. “Hopefully, we can draw valuable lessons from Liberia’s experience and enhance future elections across the region.”
In light of these developments, Touray urged parliamentarians to take concrete actions within their national parliaments and the ECOWAS Parliament to safeguard the region’s democracy and reaffirm its position as a bastion of democracy in Africa.