General elections were held in
Liberia
Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...
on 11 October 2011, with a second round of the presidential election on 8 November. The
presidency
A presidency is an administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation. Although often the executive branch of government, and often personified by a ...
, as well as all seats in the
House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
and half of the seats in the
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
, were up for election. The election was overseen by the
National Elections Commission (NEC).
The results of the legislative elections and first-round presidential election were released on 25 October 2011. In the legislative elections, the Unity Party maintained its plurality in both the House and the Senate, but as in the previous election, no party secured a majority in either chamber. Incumbent retention was low; only two of the fourteen incumbent senators seeking to retain their seats won reelection, while only twenty-five of the fifty-nine House incumbents running were reelected.
In the first round of the presidential election, incumbent President
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (born Ellen Eugenia Johnson, 29 October 1938) is a Liberian politician who served as the 24th president of Liberia from 2006 to 2018. Sirleaf was the first elected female head of state in Africa.
Sirleaf was born in Mon ...
of the
Unity Party led the presidential field with 43.9% of the vote, followed by
Congress for Democratic Change
Congress for Democratic Change (abbreviated CDC) is a Liberian political party formed by supporters of George Weah's 2005 presidential campaign.
History
In the 11 October 2005 elections, Weah placed first in the presidential poll, winning 28.3 ...
candidate
Winston Tubman
Winston A. Tubman (born 1941) is a Liberian diplomat and politician of Americo-Liberian descent. He is a former justice minister and diplomat for the nation, as well as having been the standard bearer of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC).
...
with 32.7%. As no candidate received an absolute majority, Sirleaf and Tubman stood in a run-off election held on 8 November 2011. Tubman alleged that the first round had been rigged in Sirleaf's favor and called on his supporters to boycott the run-off. The
Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa The Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (former Electoral Institute of Southern Africa), or EISA, is an organization founded in 1996 in Johannesburg to "promote credible elections, participatory democracy, human rights culture an ...
reported a turnout of 61% as compared to the 74.9% turnout in the first round. The NEC declared Sirleaf the winner of the run-off on 15 November 2011 with 90.7% of the vote.
Accreditation
Candidates
Accreditation of candidates by the NEC was held from 20 July to 15 August 2011 at the
Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex
The Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Stadium (frequently abbreviated SKD Stadium) is a multi-purpose stadium which is part of the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex in Paynesville, Liberia, a suburb of the country's capital, Monrovia. Built in 1986, it is ...
in
Paynesville. Candidates were required to submit a
letter of intent
A letter of intent (LOI or LoI, or Letter of Intent) is a document outlining the understanding between two or more parties which they intend to formalize in a contract, legally binding agreement. The concept is similar to a Heads of agreement ( ...
, sworn declarations of
citizenship
Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection".
Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...
and
domicile
Domicile may refer to:
* Home, a place where someone lives
* Domicile (astrology)
In astrology, a planet's domicile (or less commonly house, not to be confused with the astrological house system) is the zodiac sign over which it has rulership ...
, a tax clearance, financial disclosure forms and a valid form of identification.
Following the conclusion of the accreditation period, NEC Chairman
James M. Fromayan James Fromayan is a former chairman of the National Election Commission (Liberia), Liberian National Election Commission and former executive director of Liberia Democracy Resource Center, former project manager, Seeds and Tools Project, Catholic Re ...
noted that of the 2,700 registration forms delivered to political aspirants, only 920 had been returned. He said that no grace period would be allowed for late applicants.
Observers
The NEC accredited 799 international observers from 31 countries and international organizations to monitor the elections,
including the
African Union
The African Union (AU) is a continental union consisting of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the Africa ...
,
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
, the
Economic Community of West African States
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS; also known as in French and Portuguese) is a regional political union, political and economic union of fifteen countries located in West Africa. Collectively, these countries comprise an ...
(ECOWAS),
Open Society Initiative for West Africa
The Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) is an organization in West Africa. OSIWA was established in 2000 as a part of the global network of Soros Foundations. OSIWA claims to promote "open societies where democracy, good governance, t ...
,
National Democratic Institute
The National Democratic Institute (NDI), or National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, is a non-profit American NGO that works with partners in developing countries to increase the effectiveness of democratic institutions. The NDI's ...
,
International Foundation for Electoral Systems
The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) is an international, non-profit organization founded in 1987. Based in Arlington, Virginia, the organization provides assistance and support for elections and electoral stakeholders in ne ...
,
Search for Common Ground
Searching or search may refer to:
Computing technology
* Search algorithm, including keyword search
** :Search algorithms
* Search and optimization for problem solving in artificial intelligence
* Search engine technology, software for findi ...
and personnel from the American, French, German, Spanish and
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
embassies.
[ A team from the ]Carter Center
The Carter Center is a nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. He and his wife Rosalynn Carter partnered with Emory University just after his defeat in the 1980 United States presidenti ...
was led by former Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
n President Yakubu Gowon
Yakubu Dan-Yumma 'Jack' Gowon (born 19 October 1934) is a retired Nigerian Army general and military leader. As Head of State of Nigeria, Gowon presided over a controversial Nigerian Civil War and delivered the famous "no victor, no vanquish ...
.[ Additionally, 3,851 local observers from 68 national organizations and media outlets were accredited by the NEC to observe the elections.][
]
Presidential election
Nominations
In January 2010, incumbent President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (born Ellen Eugenia Johnson, 29 October 1938) is a Liberian politician who served as the 24th president of Liberia from 2006 to 2018. Sirleaf was the first elected female head of state in Africa.
Sirleaf was born in Mon ...
confirmed that she would run for a second term in office while speaking to a joint session of the Legislature. Sirleaf was renominated as the Unity Party's (UP) presidential candidate at the party's national convention on 31 October 2010. That same day, Vice President Joseph Boakai
Joseph Nyumah Boakai (born 30 November 1944) is a Liberian politician who served as the 29th vice president of Liberia from 2006 to 2018, serving under President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Previously, he served as Minister of Agriculture from 1983 to ...
was nominated by Sirleaf and confirmed by the delegates to be the party's vice presidential candidate.[ The ]True Whig Party
The True Whig Party (TWP), also known as the Liberian Whig Party (LWP), is the oldest political party in Liberia and one of the oldest parties in Africa. Founded in 1869 by primarily darker-skinned Americo-Liberians in rural areas, its historic ...
endorsed the Unity Party presidential ticket on 16 June 2011.
George Weah
George Tawlon Manneh Oppong Ousman Weah (; born 1 October 1966) is a Liberian politician and former professional footballer who is the incumbent president of Liberia, in office since 2018. Prior to his election to the presidency, Weah served a ...
, who lost to Sirleaf in the 2005 runoff election, confirmed his intention to run for president in 2011. The third-place candidate from the 2005 elections, Liberty Party leader Charles Brumskine
Charles Walker Brumskine (27 April 1951 – 20 November 2019) was a Liberian politician and attorney. He was the leader of the Liberty Party and came third in the 2005 presidential election. He challenged incumbent Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf for the ...
, also announced his plans to run for president. On 25 October 2010, the two candidates agreed following a meeting in Accra
Accra (; tw, Nkran; dag, Ankara; gaa, Ga or ''Gaga'') is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , ...
to create a coalition between the Liberty Party and Weah's Congress for Democratic Change
Congress for Democratic Change (abbreviated CDC) is a Liberian political party formed by supporters of George Weah's 2005 presidential campaign.
History
In the 11 October 2005 elections, Weah placed first in the presidential poll, winning 28.3 ...
(CDC), fielding a single list of candidates in the legislative elections. Additionally, Weah and Brumskine agreed to run against Sirleaf on a single ticket.[ However, this deal ultimately fell apart, and the Liberty Party announced in February 2011 that Senator ]Franklin Siakor
Franklin Obed Siakor (born December 3, 1967), served as Junior Senator for Bong County, from 2005 to 2011. He was a member of the Senate's Committee on Planning and Economic Affairs.
Life
Franklin Siakor was born in Gbarnga, Bong County
Bong is ...
had been chosen as Brumskine's running mate for the election.
On 1 May 2011, the CDC nominated Winston Tubman
Winston A. Tubman (born 1941) is a Liberian diplomat and politician of Americo-Liberian descent. He is a former justice minister and diplomat for the nation, as well as having been the standard bearer of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC).
...
, the nephew of former President William Tubman
William Vacanarat Shadrach Tubman (29 November 1895 – 23 July 1971) was a Liberian politician. He was the 19th president of Liberia and the longest-serving president in the country's history, serving from 1943 Liberian general election, his e ...
and a Harvard
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
-trained lawyer who finished fourth in the 2005 presidential election, as its candidate for president, with Weah as his running mate.
Prince Johnson
Prince Yormie Johnson"Prince" is a common given name for men in Liberia, rather than a royal title. (born 6 July 1952) is a Liberian politician and the current Senior Senator from Nimba County. A former rebel leader, Johnson played a prominent ...
, the former rebel leader of the during the First Liberian Civil War
The First Liberian Civil War lasted from 1989 to 1997.
President Samuel Doe had established a regime in 1980 but totalitarianism and corruption led to unpopularity and the withdrawal of support from the United States by the late 1980s. The Nat ...
and a Senator from Nimba County
Nimba County is a county in northeastern Liberia that shares borders with the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire in the East and the Republic of Guinea in the Northwest. Its capital city is Sanniquellie and its most populous city is Ganta. With the count ...
, also announced his candidacy for the presidency, forming the National Union for Democratic Progress as his party. Johnson originally chose Grand Cape Mount County
Grand Cape Mount is a county in the northwestern portion of the West African nation of Liberia. One of 15 counties that constitute the first-level of administrative division in the nation, it has five districts. Robertsport serves as the capital ...
Senator Abel Massalay as his running mate, but fired him in January 2011. Johnson then chose Lavala Supuwood, a prominent attorney, as his vice presidential candidate. Massalay later endorsed Sirleaf's bid.
The New Deal Movement joined with the National Patriotic Party
The National Patriotic Party (NPP) is a political party in Liberia. It was formed in 1997 by members of the National Patriotic Front of Liberia following the end of the First Liberian Civil War.
History
The party contested the 1997 general el ...
(NPP), the National Democratic Party of Liberia
The National Democratic Party of Liberia (NDPL) is a political party in Liberia.
The NDPL was formed in August 1984 by supporters of Samuel Doe, who came to power in the 1980 coup d'état. The party contested the 1985 general election with Doe ...
(NDPL), the Liberian People's Party
The Liberian People's Party (LPP) is a political party in Liberia.
LPP formed in 1983 as the electoral wing of the Movement for Justice in Africa (MOJA), a leftist pan-African group. Party member Amos Sawyer served as President of the Interi ...
, the United People's Party, the Liberia Equal Rights Party
The Liberia Equal Rights Party (LERP) is a political party in Liberia. It fielded candidates in the 11 October 2005 elections.
LERP candidate Joseph Korto won 3.3% of the vote in the presidential poll. The party failed to win any seats in the ...
and the Labor Party of Liberia
The Labor Party of Liberia (LPL) is a political party in Liberia. It fielded candidates in the 11 October 2005 elections.
LPL candidate Joseph Woah-Tee won 0.6% of the vote in the presidential poll. The party failed to win any seats in the Senat ...
to form the National Democratic Coalition (NDC), which planned to nominate a single presidential ticket and a single list of legislative candidates. On 12 February 2011, New Deal nominated Dew Mayson, a former Liberian ambassador and university professor, as its standard bearer, and NDC had been expected to nominate Mayson as its presidential candidate. However, New Deal suspended Mayson as its standard bearer on 6 July 2011 following for unspecified reasons, only to later reinstate him in less than a week later. Mayson later told reporters that there was an internal debate within the NDC over whether to contest the presidential election or to solely field candidates for the legislative elections.[ The day prior to the NDC's convention, the NPP and the NDPL withdrew from the coalition, and on 17 July, the remaining members of the coalition nominated Mayson as their presidential candidate.
Following their withdrawal from the NDC, the NDPL announced on 2 August 2011 that it would support the Unity Party presidential ticket, while NPP voted on 3 August to support the CDC ticket.
]Nathaniel Barnes
Milton Nathaniel Barnes (born 1954) is a Liberian diplomat, politician and member of the Liberian Destiny Party (LDP). In early 2022, he announced his intention to run as an independent candidate in the 2023 Liberian presidential election.
Ea ...
, leader of the Liberian Destiny Party and Liberian Ambassador to the United Nations, originally announced his intention to challenge Sirleaf for the presidency in December 2010, but announced on 8 July 2011 that his party had decided not to field a presidential candidate.
Candidates
Originally, NEC Chairman Fromayan stated that of the sixteen candidates who had filed for a presidential run, only 11 had listed a vice presidential nominee on their ticket, and that those candidates without running mates would be ineligible to run.[ However, the NEC published a list of provisional presidential candidates on 22 August 2011, listing all sixteen candidates, each with a running mate.
]
Campaign
Sirleaf's campaign has highlighted the progress made in several areas since her inauguration, with Sirleaf using the Liberian English
Liberian English refers to the varieties of English spoken in Liberia. There are four such varieties:
* Standard Liberian English , the Liberian variety of International English. It is the language taught in secondary and tertiary institutions ...
catchphrase "da my area" to emphasize her expertise in nation building. Sirleaf has emphasized her administration's work in relieving the country's debt, paying civil servants on time, rebuilding the Armed Forces of Liberia
The Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) are the armed forces of the Republic of Liberia. Tracing its origins to a militia that was formed by the first black colonists in what is now Liberia, it was founded as the Liberian Frontier Force in 1908, and r ...
, improving basic services and infrastructure, and restoring Liberia's international standing.[
Brumskine campaigned on a platform based on four pillars: reconciliation, reform, recovery and rebuilding.] He stated that if elected, he would work to decentralize the government, as well as decrease the powers of what he called the "imperial presidency." He also proposed creating a national peace corp in which students would travel to different counties in order to promote development and reconciliation, as well as a "mobile clinic" where teams of doctors would travel from village to village.[ Brumskine criticized Sirleaf for her financial involvement in the ]First Liberian Civil War
The First Liberian Civil War lasted from 1989 to 1997.
President Samuel Doe had established a regime in 1980 but totalitarianism and corruption led to unpopularity and the withdrawal of support from the United States by the late 1980s. The Nat ...
and for reneging on her pledge in 2005 to only serve one term.[ He further stated that if he lost the 2011 election, he would retire from politics to make way for what he called "a new and younger generation of Liberians."][
Tubman stated that one of the most pressing issues facing the country was reconciling the ]Americo-Liberian
Americo-Liberian people or Congo people or Congau people in Liberian English,Cooper, Helene, ''The House at Sugar Beach: In Search of a Lost African Childhood'' (United States: Simon and Schuster, 2008), p. 6 are a Liberian ethnic group of Afric ...
minority and the indigenous majority, warning that a failure to do so would lead to another civil war. With regards to policy, Tubman noted that he would pursue many of the same policies as Sirleaf, but argued that his credentials made him a better choice to lead the nation. He also criticized Sirleaf for her past involvement in the country's civil conflict.[
]
Legislative election
As a result of the 2010 Threshold Bill, which revised the apportionment
The legal term apportionment (french: apportionement; Mediaeval Latin: , derived from la, portio, share), also called delimitation, is in general the distribution or allotment of proper shares, though may have different meanings in different c ...
scheme used in the 2005 election, an additional nine seats were added to the House of Representatives. On the basis of the 2008 Census, Montserrado County
Montserrado County is a county in the northwestern portion of the West African nation of Liberia containing its national capital, Monrovia. One of 15 counties that comprise the first-level of administrative division in the nation, it has 17 sub p ...
gained three additional seats, Nimba County
Nimba County is a county in northeastern Liberia that shares borders with the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire in the East and the Republic of Guinea in the Northwest. Its capital city is Sanniquellie and its most populous city is Ganta. With the count ...
gained two seats, and Bong
A bong (also known as a water pipe) is a filtration device generally used for smoking cannabis, tobacco, or other herbal substances. In the bong shown in the photo, the gas flows from the lower port on the left to the upper port on the right.
...
, Grand Bassa, Margibi and Lofa Counties each gained one seat. In all other counties, the electoral district
An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other polity ...
s remained unchanged.
Pre-election controversies
Alleged analysis
On 9 July, the Liberian newspaper ''FrontPageAfrica'' published a pre-election analysis allegedly commissioned by the Unity Party that discussed Sirleaf's expected vote tally in the first round of elections. The report, attributed to law professor Larry Gibson of the University of Maryland
The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of M ...
, projected Sirleaf to earn 37.7% of the vote in the first round and highlighted the importance of gaining the endorsement of Dew Mayson and Prince Johnson in the second round, as well as stating that Unity should maintain its "connections" at the NEC. Sirleaf's office denied that the analysis had been authorized by or submitted to Sirleaf, saying "The so-called email contains fabrications and lies, and attempts to create confusion in the minds of Liberians as they embark upon this year's democratic process." Gibson also denied authoring the analysis, noting that while he had assisted Sirleaf during her 2005 campaign, he had not worked for her or any other Liberian political campaign since then.
Voter fraud
The NEC announced on 9 August 2011 that it had discovered more than 10,000 people on its voter rolls who had registered more than once to vote in the elections. The NEC forwarded the names to the Ministry of Justice for prosecution for voter fraud
Electoral fraud, sometimes referred to as election manipulation, voter fraud or vote rigging, involves illegal interference with the process of an election, either by increasing the vote share of a favored candidate, depressing the vote share of ...
. The Justice Ministry later confirmed that it was investigating the matter.
Pre-election violence
Senator Gloria Musu-Scott
Gloria Maya Musu-Scott is a Liberian politician and jurist who served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from 1997 until 2003.
Early life and education
Scott was born in Monrovia and is a member of the Grebo people. She has a bachelor's degr ...
of the Unity Party claimed that her vehicle convoy had been attacked on 9 August 2011 while travelling to Monrovia from Maryland County
Maryland County is a county in the southeastern portion of Liberia. One of 15 counties that comprise the first-level of administrative division in the nation, it has two districts. Harper serves as the capital with the area of the county me ...
, where she had been renominated as the Unity Party's candidate for the county's Senate seat. According to Scott and one of her drivers, she had changed vehicles when the one she was in had broken down. After she left the broken vehicle and its driver behind, five masked men approached the driver looking for her, searching the vehicle before leaving. Scott stated that she had reported the incident to the Justice Ministry for investigation.
On 15 August 2011, angry protestors attacked George Weah at his home, though he was unharmed. That same day, another group attacked Senator Geraldine Doe-Sheriff, National Chairman of the CDC, and other party officials at the CDC headquarters in Bentol. Doe-Sheriff and the officials were physically beaten and prevented from leaving the building, while a journalist covering the event was also attacked. The protestors were reportedly angered over alleged fraud in the CDC legislative primaries held the previous day.
Two men destroyed the car of UP party official Eugene Nagbe with a petrol bomb
A Molotov cocktail (among several other names – ''see other names'') is a hand thrown incendiary weapon constructed from a frangible container filled with flammable substances equipped with a fuse (typically a glass bottle filled with flammab ...
in the yard of his home in Margibi County
Margibi is a county on the north to central coast of Liberia. One of 15 counties that constitute the first-level of administrative division in the nation, it has five districts. Kakata serves as the capital with the area of the county measuring ...
on 17 August 2011. Nagbe, who had been Secretary-General of the CDC before leaving to become the Deputy Campaign Manager of Sirleaf's campaign in early 2011, was not harmed in the attack. The Justice Ministry later said that it had begun an investigation into the incident. Former House Speaker Edwin Snowe
Edwin Melvin Snowe, Jr. (born 11 February 1970) is a Liberian politician, serving as a Senator of the Liberian Senate for Bomi .
He has served in the House of Representatives of Liberia since January 2006, and he was Speaker of the House ...
later claimed that Nagbe had previously received a threatening text message
Text messaging, or texting, is the act of composing and sending electronic messages, typically consisting of alphabetic and numeric characters, between two or more users of mobile devices, desktops/ laptops, or another type of compatible comput ...
from a phone traced to the fiancée of George Weah's chief bodyguard, and that he had forwarded the text to the police. The Liberia National Police later arrested three suspects believed to be involved in the attack on Nagbe, as well as separate instances of armed robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take anything of value by force, threat of force, or by use of fear. According to common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the perso ...
and gang rape
Gang rape, also called serial gang rape, group rape, or multiple perpetrator rape in scholarly literature,Ullman, S. E. (2013). 11 Multiple perpetrator rape victimization. Handbook on the Study of Multiple Perpetrator Rape: A Multidisciplinary Re ...
.
On the same day as the attack on Nagbe, Assistant Information Minister for Culture Jacqueline Capehart was attacked while giving a speech promoting awareness of the constitutional referendum scheduled for 23 August. During her presentation, several youths began throwing stones at her before the police intervened and arrested them. Capehart was not injured during the attack, but a disc jockey participating in the event sustained injuries and was taken to the hospital.[ Numerous media outlets also reported that on the same day, former footballer Christopher Wreh was attacked following his endorsement of Sirleaf's presidential campaign.][ Several unidentified suspects were later arrested by the LNP in connection with the attack on Capehart.][
President Sirleaf addressed the nation on 19 August, condemning the attacks against Doe-Sheriff and Nagbe as "politically motivated." Reiterating her call for peaceful elections, Sirleaf stated, "Violence against, and intimidation of, political actors and individuals undermine and destroy democracy. Such conduct is the beginning of anarchy, and if not deterred, such conduct could reverse the political gains we have made and probably cost our country to retrogress into another civil conflict."] Sirleaf also ordered the country's security forces to investigate the attacks and prevent further violence.[
]
Nobel Peace Prize
On 7 October 2011, four days prior to the election, Sirleaf was awarded the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize
The 2011 Nobel Peace Prize was jointly awarded to three female political activists. Two African and one Asian female were awarded for their persistence in obtaining equal rights for women.
Laureates
The joint laureated were: Liberian President Ell ...
. Tubman denounced the award to Sirleaf, saying that "she brought war on our country and spoiled the country" and that the award was a "provocative intervention" in Liberian politics. Sirleaf herself called the timing a coincidence and avoided mentioning the award during the final days of campaigning.
Amendment referendum
In September 2010, the NEC announced that a popular referendum to ratify four constitutional amendments passed by the Legislature in August 2010 would be held prior to the elections. If passed, three of the amendments would have directly affected the elections:
*The ten-year residency requirement for presidential candidates would have been reduced to five-year;
*Elections would have been held on the second Tuesday of November, delaying the 2011 elections until 8 November;
*The two-round system
The two-round system (TRS), also known as runoff voting, second ballot, or ballotage, is a voting method used to elect a single candidate, where voters cast a single vote for their preferred candidate. It generally ensures a majoritarian resul ...
used for legislative elections would be replaced by a single-round first-past-the-post
In a first-past-the-post electoral system (FPTP or FPP), formally called single-member plurality voting (SMP) when used in single-member districts or informally choose-one voting in contrast to ranked voting, or score voting, voters cast their ...
system, while the presidential election would have continued to use the two-round method.
The referendum was held on 23 August 2011, and the NEC announced on 31 August that all four amendments had been rejected. Following litigation, the Supreme Court ruled on 20 September that the NEC had improperly calculated the results, and that the amendment replacing the absolute majority requirement and run-off elections for non-presidential elections with a simple majority requirement had been ratified.
Legal challenge
On 14 September, presidential candidate Simeon Freeman of the Movement for Progressive Change filed a petition with the Supreme Court requesting that the Court disqualify the six presidential candidates of the Unity Party, Congress for Democratic Change, Liberty Party, National Democratic Coalition, National Union for Democratic Progress and Liberia Transformation Party. The petition argued that due to the failure of the referendum proposal to reduce the residency requirement from 10 to 5 years, these presidential candidates could not contest the election due to their residency outside the country during the Second Liberian Civil War
The Second Liberian Civil War was a conflict in the West African nation of Liberia lasted from 1999 to 2003. It was preceded by the First Liberian Civil War, which ended in 1996.
President Charles Taylor came to power in 1997 after victory in t ...
. NEC Chairman James Fromayan James Fromayan is a former chairman of the Liberian National Election Commission and former executive director of Liberia Democracy Resource Center, former project manager, Seeds and Tools Project, Catholic Relief Services. He has also served as as ...
said that the text of the residency clause was vague, in that it did not define the term "resident" or say whether a candidate had to reside in Liberia for the ten years immediately prior to the election. As such, Fromayan stated that the NEC had qualified the six candidates to run because "we don't want to penalize anybody on the grounds of a particular constitutional clause that lacks clarity."
Prior to a preliminary hearing on 20 September, the Supreme Court issued an injunction barring the six parties from campaigning pending the outcome of the litigation.[ However, the Court lifted the injunction on 20 September after the respondent parties argued that they had not yet been able to submit their responses to the MPC's claims. The Court denied the petitioners' motion on 5 October, ruling that as the residency requirement had been suspended prior to the 2005 elections, the requirement could not be applied until ten years after the suspension.
]
Conduct
First round
Voting
Voting proceeded smoothly and peacefully, with no reports of violence. Heavy voter turnout was reported in most of the country. Severe rain in Montserrado County
Montserrado County is a county in the northwestern portion of the West African nation of Liberia containing its national capital, Monrovia. One of 15 counties that comprise the first-level of administrative division in the nation, it has 17 sub p ...
and some other parts of the country led to minor delays in the opening of some polling places, though most of the country was free from severe weather. President Sirleaf travelled to Feefee in her native Bomi County
Bomi is a county in the northwestern portion of the West African nation of Liberia. The county was established in 1984. The county's area is .
Bomi is one of 15 counties that comprise the first-level of administrative division in the nation ...
to cast her vote, while Tubman cast his vote at G. W. Gibson High School in Monrovia.[
]
Reactions
The observer teams from the Carter Center, ECOWAS and the African Union all praised the first round of elections for their smoothness and peacefulness. Specioza Kazibwe
Speciosa Naigaga Wandira Kazibwe (born 1 July 1954), is a Ugandan politician and first female vice president in Africa. She was the sixth vice president of Uganda from 1994 to 2003, making her the first woman in Africa to hold the position of vice ...
, the head of the AU observer mission, termed the elections "phenomenal" and praised Liberians for turning out in high numbers despite heavy rain. The AU team also declared the elections to be "free, fair, transparent and credible" and urged all political parties to accept the outcomes of the elections. The ECOWAS observer mission also praised the vote, saying that "on the whole, the elections of 11 October 2011, were conducted under acceptable conditions of freedom of voters and transparency of the process."[ The Liberia-based Elections Coordinating Commission commended polling workers for their professionalism and for giving special priority to elderly, disabled and pregnant voters. The Carter Center noted some minor procedural irregularities, but it stated that none of the irregularities were significant enough to affect the outcome of the election and called the elections "peaceful, orderly, and remarkably transparent." United Nations Secretary-General ]Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon (; ; born 13 June 1944) is a South Korean politician and diplomat who served as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations between 2007 and 2016. Prior to his appointment as secretary-general, Ban was his country's Minister ...
stated that the elections were an "important milestone" in the move to "consolidate peace and democracy in the country."[
]
Opposition withdrawal
Preliminary results released by the NEC on 14 October 2011 showed, with 50.3% of polling places reporting, Sirleaf leading with 45.4% of the vote, with Tubman in second place with 29.5% and Prince Johnson in third with 11.4%. On 15 October, nine political parties announced that they were withdrawing from the elections and ordering their poll observers to withdraw from the monitoring process, including Tubman's Congress for Democratic Change, Johnson's National Union for Democratic Progress, the National Patriotic Party, National Democratic Coalition, Union of Liberia Democrats, Liberia Transformation Party, Victory for Change Party, Liberia Reconstruction Party, and Grassroot Democratic Party. In a statement, the nine parties claimed that the NEC was fraudulently altering the vote count to favor Sirleaf, saying that they planned to present their evidence of fraud through the media and would not respect the outcome of the elections.[ They claimed that they could offer witnesses and photographs to back up their claims of fraud. On the same day, a local office of the Unity Party in Monrovia was set ablaze, with ]UNMIL
The United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) was a peacekeeping operation established in September 2003 to monitor a ceasefire agreement in Liberia following the resignation of President Charles Taylor and the conclusion of the Second Liberia ...
and the Liberia National Police investigating the incident.
NEC Chairman Fromayan rejected the opposition's charges, stating, "All the parties participated in the elections. The counting was done and both the local population and the international observers that came acclaimed the process to be free, fair and transparent." A spokesman for the Unity Party accused the opposition of trying to create chaos in the country, saying "They are doing this thing because it is not going their way."[ The Carter Center stated that it stood by its original description of the election as free and transparent.] In reaction to the withdrawal, Luis Moreno-Ocampo
Luis Moreno OcampoMoreno Ocampo's surnames are often hyphenated in English-language media to mark Moreno as a surname, not a given name. (born 4 June 1952) is an Argentine lawyer who served as the first Prosecutor of the International Criminal Co ...
, lead prosecutor of the International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court (ICC or ICCt) is an intergovernmental organization and international tribunal seated in The Hague, Netherlands. It is the first and only permanent international court with jurisdiction to prosecute individuals ...
, said that the prosecutor's office was closely monitoring the events and warned that any use of violence by the parties and candidates would not be tolerated.
On 16 October, the NEC released additional results based on 96.7% of polling places reporting that had Sirleaf still leading with 44% of the vote, Tubman increasing his second place total to 32.2% of the vote and Prince Johnson with 11.8%. The nine opposition parties called for a recount of the votes, as well as for the NEC to release the total number of votes in each county and district. However, Tubman said that based on the updated results, he would be willing to participate in the likely run-off election between Sirleaf and himself, backing off from his previous statements.
Second round
Endorsements
On 18 October, Prince Johnson announced that he was endorsing Sirleaf in the second-round, saying, "This is because some of her policies are good for this country. If all her policies are not good, we will do addition and subtraction so that what we want to see in it will be reflected." He termed his choice of Sirleaf "the lesser of two evils" and added that he refused to support Tubman because of the CDC's stated aim of implementing the TRC report that recommended prosecution of Johnson for war crimes. Former President Moses Blah
Moses Zeh Blah (18 April 1947 – 1 April 2013) was a Liberian politician. He served as the 28th vice president of Liberia under President Charles Taylor and became the 23rd president of Liberia on 11 August 2003, following Taylor's resignation. ...
endorsed Sirleaf on 24 October, praising her administration's development projects in his native Nimba County
Nimba County is a county in northeastern Liberia that shares borders with the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire in the East and the Republic of Guinea in the Northwest. Its capital city is Sanniquellie and its most populous city is Ganta. With the count ...
. Seventh-place finisher Togba-Nah Tipoteh
Togba-Nah Tipoteh (born 1941) is an economist, educator and politician, having been a presidential candidate in three elections. For more than three decades, he has been actively involved with democratic activities in promotion of human rights, lib ...
of the Freedom Alliance Party of Liberia
The Freedom Alliance Party of Liberia (FAPL) is a political party in Liberia. It fielded candidates in the 11 October 2005 elections.
FAPL candidate Margaret Tor-Thompson won 0.9% of the vote in the presidential poll. The party failed to win an ...
also endorsed Sirleaf for the second round on 27 October, citing her administration for the level of transparency it had brought to the political process. Charles Brumskine, who came in fourth in the first round, endorsed Sirleaf on 31 October, saying: " r task as we see it is one of judging capacity and potential and making good faith effort to help move our country forward." Sirleaf also received the endorsement of Gladys Beyan, the sixth-place finisher in the presidential election for the Grassroot Democratic Party of Liberia.
CDC boycott
Ten opposition parties, including the nine parties that briefly withdrew from the elections, met with Ellen Margrethe Løj, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General to UNMIL, on 17 October, asking the UN to manage the run-off elections in place of the NEC. ECOWAS announced that same day that it would be sending a larger contingent of observers for the run-off election, but also chastised the opposition parties for their actions after the first-round elections and urged them to use "constitutional means" to redress their grievances.
On 26 October, Tubman stated that unless the leadership of the NEC was replaced, the CDC would boycott the run-off election. Tubman said that his party had lost confidence in the impartiality of the NEC due to the CDC's allegations of vote-tampering and its feeling that the NEC had not sufficiently addressed its concerns. Acarous Gray, the Secretary-General of the CDC, specified on 27 October that unless the government dismissed NEC Chairman Fromayan, it would not participate in the second round. This threat came in the wake of an official letter received by the CDC from the NEC informing the CDC that it had placed first in the first-round presidential election with 43.9% of the vote against UP's 32.7%. The CDC cited this letter as evidence of fraud on the part of the NEC to favor UP. The NEC acknowledged the letter, but said that the incorrect voting figures had been a typographical error. The NEC fired the head of its communication department on 28 October as a result of the error.
Fromayan resigned as NEC Chairman on 30 October, saying: "I am resigning to give way to peace. I do not want to be the obstacle to the holding of the run-off election." His deputy chairperson, Elizabeth J. Nelson, assumed his role at the NEC that same day. Sirleaf's press secretary said that Sirleaf had accepted Fromayan's resignation, adding, "The president also thanked him for his service to the people of Liberia." Tubman welcomed the news, stating, "It is a victory for the CDC, a victory for democracy and a victory for the Liberian people."[ However, CDC Secretary-General Acarous Gray stated on 31 October that while Fromayan's resignation was a step forward, the CDC would not participate in the run-off election unless the NEC recounted the votes of the first round and sufficiently investigated its claims of ballot tampering. Tubman responded that same day that he, and not Gray, was empowered to make the decision over whether or not to participate in the run-off election, and that he had not yet made a decision. The Deputy Information Minister for Public Affairs, Jerelimic Piah, said that the government viewed the contradictory statements from Tubman and the CDC leadership as evidence that Tubman was not in control of his party and urged Tubman to assert his leadership over the CDC to curtail "provocative comments" being made by CDC officials.
On 4 November, Tubman stated that he would boycott the second round, saying, "We will never reward fraud and abuse of power and will never grant legitimacy to a corrupt political process." Tubman added that "any government coming out of the 8 November process will be done without a national mandate to govern and will not be recognised by the CDC." The NEC said that under the terms of the country's constitution and elections law, the second round would proceed regardless of the CDC's boycott and urged voters to turn out.
;Reactions
Sirleaf urged voters to attend the polls and vote for the candidate of their choice in a national radio address on 5 November, arguing that "Tubman...has called on Liberians to give up their franchise, their right to vote" and that "what he is doing is forfeiting the right to the finals because he fears defeat." ECOWAS stated that it was disappointed in Tubman's "retrogressive tone" and reiterated its call for the CDC to participate in the run-off, adding that it would recognize any winner it judged to have been elected in a free and fair election regardless of the boycott. The head of the AU observer mission, Speciosa Kazibwe, said, "We are very concerned. It's a bad signal ... political leaders must be prepared to win or lose." A spokeswoman for the ]US State Department
The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other nati ...
also expressed disappointment in Tubman's decision, as she noted that "the CDC's charge that the first-round election was fraudulent is unsubstantiated." The spokesman also warned against any attempts at violence by CDC partisans.
Violence
Clashes between the Liberia National Police (LNP) and CDC protestors left at least two people dead and several wounded outside of the CDC headquarters in Sinkor
Sinkor is a section of the Monrovia metropolitan area in Liberia. United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) has its headquarters in Sinkor. Embassies, health facilities, and educational institutions, and non-governmental organizations are also in ...
on 7 November 2011.[ The CDC had bussed in hundreds of CDC partisans to participate in a protest against the holding of the second-round election. The protestors said they had planned to march through Monrovia to the ]UNMIL
The United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) was a peacekeeping operation established in September 2003 to monitor a ceasefire agreement in Liberia following the resignation of President Charles Taylor and the conclusion of the Second Liberia ...
headquarters and the United States Embassy to present a petition protesting the second-round elections. When the LNP blocked off access to Tubman Boulevard, the crowd began throwing stones at the officers and attempting to break through the police line, leading to tear gas being deployed and shooting which killed at least one person.
A spokesman for the LNP initially claimed that the officers had not deployed live rounds against the protestors, limiting themselves to tear gas in order "to disperse the crowd so that people who were not part of the demonstration could move about freely." Tubman and Weah cited the incident as evidence that the run-off should not take place. The LNP later admitted that one police officer had fired into the crowd, and that the officer had been detained by UNMIL. Justice Minister Christiana Tah said that security would be increased during the election and that an investigation would be conducted into the incident. While initial reports from the scene claimed that at least four people had been killed, officials later said that only two people had died. On 11 November, President Sirleaf announced the formation of an independent commission to investigate the shooting and vowed that any person who had broken the law would be brought to justice. On the commission's recommendation, Sirleaf dismissed LNP Inspector General Marc Amblard, who accepted responsibility for the incident.
Closure of media outlets
Following the riot on 7 November, the government shut down four radio stations and three television stations, all of which were reported to be pro-CDC outlets. The government said that the closures had been legal, with a writ ordering the closures issued by the First Judicial Circuit Criminal Court in Monrovia. The government's petition to the Court argued that the stations had "illegally used their respective media outlets by broadcasting hate messages against the government and deliberately spreading misinformation and messages of violence, and instigating the people to rise up and take to the streets and engage in confrontation with the Liberia National Police and the United Nations security forces." Sirleaf later said that the closures had been conducted "with the aim to prevent the incitement of further violence and protect lives." The closures were condemned by the Press Union of Liberia, the Liberia Media Center, the Center for Media Studies and Peace Building, Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders (RWB; french: Reporters sans frontières; RSF) is an international non-profit and non-governmental organization with the stated aim of safeguarding the right to freedom of information. It describes its advocacy as found ...
, the Committee to Protect Journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is an American independent non-profit, non-governmental organization, based in New York City, New York, with correspondents around the world. CPJ promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journa ...
, and the Liberty Party. The First Judicial Circuit Criminal Court ordered the reopening of the stations on 15 November.[
]
Voting
Turnout on the day of the run-off was low, with some polling stations closing early upon realizing that no more voters would show up. Nevertheless, international observers from ECOWAS and the Carter Center commended the election, with the Carter Center saying, "Liberia's run-off election was conducted in general accordance with the country's legal framework and international obligations, which provide for genuine democratic elections. While the run-off was undermined by the CDC boycott, the eruption of electoral violence, and low voter turnout, it allowed Liberians who wished to participate to express their will in a transparent and credible process."
Reactions
Tubman initially expressed his interest in reconciling with the government, saying on 11 November that "since Mrs. Sirleaf will now claim she is the president and is recognized by the international community, we have to find a way to work with her and I believe it is not beyond our ability to find a way for that to happen." However, he reversed his position the next day, terming the Unity Party "election hijackers" and calling for new elections and further protest by CDC supporters. The government rejected Tubman's demand for new elections.
On 11 November, Sirleaf announced that she would establish a "national peace and reconciliation initiative" to address the country's divisions and begin "a national dialogue that would bring us together." Nobel Peace Prize laureate Leymah Gbowee
Leymah Roberta Gbowee (born 1 February 1972) is a Liberian peace activist responsible for leading a women's nonviolent peace movement, Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace that helped bring an end to the Second Liberian Civil War in 2003. Her ef ...
was chosen by Sirleaf to lead to initiative.[
]
Results
President
House of Representatives
Senate
Aftermath
Representative Nelson Wah Barh, who had been re-elected as the House representative for Sinoe County
Sinoe is one of Liberia's 15 counties and it has 17 districts. Greenville is the county's capital. As of the 2008 Census, it had a population of 104,932, making it one of the least populous counties in Liberia. Sinoe has the third-largest area o ...
District 3, died on 17 October shortly before a party intended to celebrate his re-election. The NEC announced that it would hold a by-election to fill Barh's seat, but noted that the election could not be held until the 53rd Legislature had convened in January and officially informed the NEC of the vacancy.
References
{{Liberian elections
Liberia
Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...
Election, General
Elections in Liberia
October 2011 events in Africa
November 2011 events in Africa