MONROVIA, Montserrado – International observer missions in Liberia, including the Carter Center, the European Union, the African Union, and ECOWAS, have described Tuesday’s poll as calm and orderly.

In separate statements, the organizations in their findings congratulated Liberians for their patience, resolve, and peaceful conduct in the runoff presidential election.

According to them, polls opened in an excellent and orderly manner, and the atmosphere was also calm. They said despite the low turnout, the National Elections Commission made efforts that improved the process.

The observer groups praised Liberians for their strong commitment to democratic governance and values.

Addressing the media, the former prime minister of Senegal and member of the Carter Center observers mission, Aminata Toure, noted:

“While efforts were made by the NEC to accommodate persons with disabilities in ground-floor polling places, the vast majority of structures used for polling precincts were insufficient to allow independent access for persons with disabilities.”

He said the closing and counting process was assessed as “very good” or “reasonable” in all polling places observed. However, he requested that counting procedures be reviewed before future elections to ensure greater accountability and additional safeguards against fraud.

“Carter center observers found that poll workers adhered to procedures in almost all cases but in four of the 16 observations, seal numbers were not properly recorded, and in two polling places observed, there were issues with the reconciliation of ballots,” Toure said.

The Carter Center recommended that a full review of the electoral legislation through the inclusive consultative process should address the gaps and inconsistencies observed in the process – with the goal of bringing the legal framework in line with international standards for democratic elections.

The institution also suggested a careful review of the timing of elections and the timeframe for resolving the electoral disputes. It also recommended a more robust mechanism for stakeholders’ consultations and communications.

In a related development, the former president of Ghana and head of the observer mission of ECOWAS, John Mahama, said in a press conference on Wednesday that most of the polling places visited by the ECOWAS observers opened not later than 15 mins after the official time of 8:00 a.m.

He added that there was an effective presence of security personnel at the polling precinct.

“The processing of voters and the casting of ballots followed acceptable standards and were in accordance with the law and procedures governing elections in the country,” he indicated.

ECOWAS recommended that both parties stay the course of restraint, legality, and peace until the end of the process. The regional body also urged all development partners to continue to provide more support to Liberia to ensure the country maintains its progress towards political and socio-economic development.

In another development, the chief observer of the European Union, Maria Arena, said, “Election day was calm and benefited from organizational improvements made by the NEC based on what our 74 election observers reported from over 330 observations in rural and urban areas in all counties.”

“The additional deployment of queue controllers and their training had a positive impact on election procedures in and outside the polling places, facilitating the exercise of the right to vote,” she added.

She also showed appreciation for the resilience, patience and unwavering commitment to democratic principles showed by Liberian voters.

“They turned up on election day in large numbers and exercised their right to vote peacefully; the EU values the contribution from all stakeholders to the election process, their engagement with the mission has made our work possible’” she added.