MONROVIA, Montserrado – Guinean president Alpha Conde and Togolese president Faure Gnassingbe recently ended a one-day political stakeholders’ meeting in Liberia with heads of various political parties.

Conde is the current chair of the African Union, while Gnassingbe is the chair of the Economic Community of West African States.

According to an Executive Mansion press statement, the meeting was led by Conde and Gnassingbe. It had several leaders of political parties in attendance, including Vice President Joseph Nyuma Boakai of Unity Party and George Manneh Weah of the Coalition for Democratic Change.

The two leaders’ visit was meant to ease tensions following a decision by the Supreme Court to put a stay order on the runoff November 7 presidential election scheduled between Unity Party and the Coalition for Democratic Change.

According to the press statement, the two African leaders were met on arrival by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf at the Roberts International Airport in Margibi, where the three leaders held discussions in the presidential lounge.

They then proceeded to the Boulevard Palace Hotel in Sinkor, where they met with major candidates from the October 10 election.

Presidential candidates at Wednesday’s meeting. Photo courtesy of the Executive Mansion

“The transition of Liberia remains on course, and the process must be concluded in time for me to turn over to my successor,” the press statement quotes Sirleaf as informing the AU and ECOWAS heads.

According to the press statement, Sirleaf reminded the political leaders of their commitment to the Farmington Declaration, noting “the appropriate channels of concerns expressed by some aggrieved parties regarding irregularities during the October 10, are being used to handle whatever concerns that might have been raised.”

“Liberia is the only country that we have, and the peace of this nation should be sustained at all cost,” Sirleaf cautioned.

The Liberian leader called on all those who took part in the process to remain peaceful, and respect the elections laws of Liberia and allow the process to go on peacefully and successfully.

Sirleaf challenged the aggrieved parties to go about their grievances in a peaceful manner and within the constitutional time frame.

Featured photo courtesy of the Executive Mansion