NEWS RELEASES

November 24, 2005 (1:50 p.m. EST)
No. 235

STATEMENT ON LIBERIA’S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew today issued the following statement on yesterday’s announcement of the official results of the second round of Liberian presidential elections, held on November 8, 2005:

“I applaud the participation of Liberian citizens in these elections and I am pleased the elections were held in a generally calm and orderly manner. These elections mark a turning point in the peacebuilding process and the return to democracy in Liberia.

“I am encouraged by preliminary statements by the United Nations and various on-site observers concluding that the election process was fair and transparent. We are, however, aware that a candidate has filed a complaint regarding electoral fraud and we await the results of an investigation by Liberia’s National Election Commission. We hope that the parties involved will comply with the commission’s final decision.

“Yesterday’s announcement also marks an important milestone in Africa’s history, as Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf becomes Africa’s first democratically elected female head of state. We are aware of the challenges that await Ms. Johnson-Sirleaf and her government and we call on them to promote dialogue and to establish transparency and good governance as key priorities.”

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