Where We Work.
Liberia
Where We Work.
Liberia
The institutionalization of democracy in Liberia since the end of the civil war has generally been considered a success story. For instance, the development of the legal framework and electoral management which has transitioned from one backed by the international community to elections run by the National Elections Commission (NEC) of Liberia.
The most recent general election of 2017 was the first in which the NEC played a leading role, with international partners providing more limited support than previously.
While this achievement is noteworthy, it is important to note that political institutions and processes are still developing and as such international observers have an important role to play in supporting the political and security context during the elections cycle. Misuse or abuse of state resources is frequently a temptation during the pre-election and primarily the campaigning phase, especially for incumbent parties. Vote buying is a frequently debated issue.
Despite the vibrancy of Liberia’s political and civil rights discourse, the 2021 World Press Freedom Index, on the other hand, places Liberia 98 out of 180 countries in terms of media freedom. In 2019, the government ordered the suspension of all social media to put an end to anti-corruption demonstrations.
Ongoing and growing drivers of political and electoral conflict reveal a tense political context and forecast difficult electoral prospects.
For instance, lack of consensus on the timing and sequencing of the Biometric Voters Registration (BVR), the national census, funding delays and shortages are reducing trust in the electoral process. Given this background, the deployment of an independent international EISA IEOM – based on international and regional benchmarks – to monitor and report on all the phases of the 2023 Liberian electoral process will provide an unbiased assessment of the elections.
The International Election Observation Mission (IEOM) project to seeks to conduct:
Impartial and ongoing monitoring
Assessment and reporting on all aspects of the electoral process
Demonstrate international support for a democratic electoral process
by sharing timely, constructive recommendations to improve current and future electoral processes in Liberia.
The IEOM will be implemented in close coordination with USAID/Liberia which is also funding the project. The IEOM will also complement the efforts of other electoral stakeholders. The project is covering eighteen months from December 1, 2022, to May 31, 2024.
Our Goal.
Support efforts for electoral integrity and credibility for Liberia 2023 elections through independent impartial observation and of the electoral process in adherence to national law and regional an international principle and obligations for democratic elections.
Project Objectives
The EISA-EOM will apply a comprehensive rights-based observation methodology to assess all phases of the electoral cycle, including the:
- legal framework
- electoral system
- election management
- voter registration
- voter education
- candidacy and campaigning
- role of the media
- social media
- voting and counting operations
- tabulation and reporting of results
- and electoral dispute resolution
The long-term methodology is anchored in public international law and assesses the extent to which a country’s elections meet established international and regional standards for democratic elections as articulated in international rights treaties to which they are a signatory.
The long-term methodology is anchored in public international law and assesses the extent to which a country’s elections meet established international and regional standards for democratic elections as articulated in international rights treaties to which they are a signatory.
In Liberia, the methodology will assess the electoral process against key rights obligations across each phase of the electoral process.
In order to best assess the electoral processes and institutions, this project will include an electoral violence monitoring and mitigation component; a media monitoring component; and a gender integration and social inclusion dimension.
Networks & Partners
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Our Team
Mr. Grant Masterson
Country Director
Grant Masterson is the Liberia Country Director at the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA). He has worked in support of African elections and regional/continental institutions across the continent for over 20 years, including more than 35 election observer missions and assessments with the African Union (AU), Southern African Development Community (SADC), East African Community (EAC) and other international bodies. In addition to his election experience, Grant has supported governance programmes of the African Union such as the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), African Governance Architecture (AGA), African Charter on Democracy Elections and Governance (ACDEG) and the Agenda2063 and its 10-year action plans. Grant has managed several multi-country projects and research surveys, collecting qualitative and quantitative survey data and executing and coordinating field research and analysis. He has extensive experience in survey design, data analysis and project management.
He publishes chapters and articles regularly, most recently “The legacy of multipartyism on political coalitions and rent-seeking in African elections” in Booysen’s “Marriages of Inconvenience: The politics of coalitions in Africa” (2021). He has lectured several post-graduate courses at the University of Witwatersrand in International Relations. He has a Masters of Arts from Wits (International Relations) and post-graduate qualifications from the University of Johannesburg and Carleton University (Ottowa, Canada).
Antonetta Hamandishe
Electoral Expert
Ms. Antonetta Lovejoy Hamandishe is a Ph.D. candidate in Peace Governance and Development with UPEACE. She received an MA in International Relations from the Department of Social Science at Oxford Brookes University; an MA in Human Rights, Peace and Development from Africa University, a Certificate in Project Monitoring and Evaluation from the University of Zimbabwe and a BA (Hons) in History and Development Studies from Midlands State University.
Ms Hamandishe began her work as a community development worker, eventually moving into the elections, democracy and human rights sectors. She has worked in the development and democracy sectors in many capacities – a field worker, a researcher, a programmme manager, an election observer and a technical expert. Her research and fieldwork experience overlap arenas of democracy, elections, development and the interdisciplines of globalisation, governance, peace, poverty, international conflict, global civil society, critical approaches to terrorism and global political economy. She is a feminist activist and her scholarly works focus more on women’s political participation, electoral gender quotas, electoral legal frameworks, election dispute resolution and conflict monitoring in East and Southern Africa. She has provided advisory and technical support to the electoral units and observer missions of several intergovernmental bodies and EOMs.
Her current research work focuses broadly on the nexus between resources and politics, and more specifically, on the sources of political, social and economic variation among resource-rich countries. She has experience in electoral assessment methodology design for international and citizen observers, assistance to election management bodies, CSOs, advocacy, research, and training. She recently managed a complex national election conflict monitoring and women empowerment support project (Dec 2020-Aug 2022) working with civil society in Somalia and Somaliland. She publishes articles and policy briefs regularly, most recently “Why Gender Quotas Don’t Work in Somalia? The Influence of The Electoral System and Clan Politics” (2022) and “Rethinking women's political participation in Zimbabwe's elections” (2018).
Pontsho Motaung
Finance and Administration Manager
Mr Pontsho George Motaung is an administration and finance specialist with over 12 years’ experience in administration and financial resources management for both private and non-profit sectors. A South African citizen, he currently works for the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa as a Finance and Administrative Manager. He has proven experience in interpreting and implementing administrative and financial rules and regulations as well as providing solutions to a wide spectrum of complex administrative and financial issues in support of local CSOs, Election Management bodies, media and political parties in countries such as the Central African Republic, Mali, Somalia and Somaliland.
Mr Motaung possesses excellent skills in organizational, coordination and managerial support for field office audit procedures and project budget management. He also has extensive experience in supervising project operations and coordination, including monitoring financial delivery as well as the preparation of budget forecasts. Mr Motaung has knowledge and experience managing donor funds from European Union EU), the Department for International Development (DFID) and the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida). He has subsequently provided field and mission level support in financial management during EISA international election observer missions in countries including Egypt (2012 & 2015), Mozambique (2014), Nigeria (2019), Tanzania (2020), The Gambia (2021) and Kenya (2022).
Mr Motaung has proven experience in financial capacity building for local CSOs through facilitation, knowledge sharing and training. He possesses an Honours degree in Business Management, majoring in Financial Management from the University of South Africa (UNISA). Mr Motaung has cross-cultural experience, is a motivated team player, is adaptable, is focused on getting things done and is committed to advancing organizational best practise for financial accountability.
Noxolo Gwala
Long Term Observer Coordinator
Noxolo Gwala holds an MA in international relations and politics from Wits University majoring in electoral violence. Noxolo has served in various capacities since joining EISA in 2016. Through the Elections and Political Process department, she has proven expertise in the development of election observation methodology and the use of technology in securing the credibility of data collected for political processes. She has observed over 20 African elections, establishing a strong network with state actors, election management bodies, political parties, civil society across the Continent. Providing regular technical advice and support to the democracy units of the AU, SADC, EAC, ECOWAS and ICGLR. In the Governance and Political Processes department, Noxolo has worked closely with political parties in Botswana and Zambia to support gender sensitive party policies and practices in efforts to improve women political participation. At home, she is following the reform of South Africa’s electoral system towards inclusivity and applying her continental experience to shape the trajectory through regular debates and commentary on international and local platforms. Noxolo supports the advancement of women and youth participation in politics through regular contribution to research and dialogues on voter apathy, money in politics and international best practice for credible elections. She is skilled in the production of capacity building tools, coordination of election observation missions and civil society networks, project design and implementation, data sourcing, report writing, information analysis and public speaking.
LTC Andrew J. Wleh (Rtd)
Security Specialist
I am LTC. Andrew J. Wleh, Sr. (Rtd). I hold a BSc. from the William V.S. Tubman Teachers College in secondary education, University of Liberia, and has been teaching since 1991. I also hold PSc. (Equivalence of master’s degree) in International Defense Study from the Armed Forces Command and Staff College in Nigeria (2008). Lastly, I am a Counter Terrorism Fellow (CTF) from the National Defense University (2011), Washington DC, and married with children. I have a deep love for my faith and country, and have served my country for thirty-two years in the military.
Darren L. Domah
Legal Analyst
Darren L. Domah is a Liberian attorney with over 15 years of professional experience in law and social work. He has worked with various organizations, including the European Union Elections Observation Mission in Liberia and the Ministry of Health of Liberia, focusing on human rights, elections, democracy, women's civil and political rights, and public health law.
In 2021, the U.S. Department of State awarded Darren a Fulbright Hubert Humphrey Fellowship. He researched law and human rights at the American University Washington College of Law during his fellowship. He also received a post-graduate certificate as a Law and Human Rights Specialist, a leadership certificate from Syracuse University Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology & Political Science, and a Bachelor of Laws (LL. B) from the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, University of Liberia.
George Sharpe
Media Analyst
George Yonbior Sharpe is a Liberian journalist with experience in rural reporting and urban broadcast. George boasts over ten years of media experience, spanning from his time at Smile FM community radio in Zwedru, southeast Liberia to Monrovia at the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) Radio, which transitioned to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Radio in March 2018. As a journalist, he uses a blend of storytelling techniques and his analysis of the local context to tell stories. He covered Liberia's presidential and legislative elections in 2011 and 2017 in both rural and urban areas of the country as a journalist with UNMIL Radio. George is also an adjunct Lecturer of communication courses at his alma mater, the University of Liberia. George earned a Bachelor of Arts in mass communication from the University of Liberia and a Master of Science in Communication and Information Sciences from Tilburg University in the Netherlands. For his MSc, he specializes in Business Communication and Digital Media, which gives him an advanced understanding of how digital media affect organizational communication and how communication and digital media influence business and development in theory and practice in this digital age. He has also received training certificates in Power and Voice courses from the MS Training Centre for Development Co-operation in Arusha, Tanzania and Public Relations Industry training in Bremen, Germany.
Saba Bawo-Cephas
Mission Assistant
Saba Bawo-Cephas is an experienced professional with an extensive background in administrative roles. She has a diverse range of skills and expertise acquired through her work in various organizations in Liberia. She holds a master’s in public administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Liberia. Saba has received specialized training in administrative management from the Liberia Institute for Public Administration (LIPA) and is a dedicated and detail-oriented professional, known for her organizational skills and ability to handle multiple tasks.
George P. Coker
Finance and Administration Assistant
George P. Coker is a dedicated finance and administrative professional with over 8 years of experience in finance, procurement, and data analysis. As a Liberian national, he brings a wealth of expertise in financial analysis and a strong commitment to driving positive change.
Throughout his career, George has held various positions in finance, procurement, and administration, supporting programs at both local and international NGOs. He has consistently ensured accurate financial reporting, implemented robust accounting systems, managed budgets, and conducted audits. George has actively contributed to projects focused on raising awareness and engaging communities.
Currently, George serves as a Finance and Administrative Assistant at the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA)-Liberia. In this role, he plays a vital part in assisting in the implementation of financial procedures, procurement processes, and supporting the overall administration of the institute.
George P. Coker holds an Associate Degree in Economics and will be acquiring his Bachelor's Degree in Economics, in July of this year. With his exceptional leadership skills, George is dedicated to utilizing his expertise to excel as a successful financial analyst. He possesses a passion for leveraging financial data to drive strategic decision-making and is committed to making a positive impact in his field.