The leadership of the Nimba Press Club (NPC) is challenging political actors in the pending by-election in Nimba County to conduct their activities in ways that promote peace and tranquility in the county as a means of strengthening democratic governance in the county,particularly, and in Liberia, generally. “While electioneering processes are characterized by heightened adversarial tension, politicians can lower such tension by their style of canvassing and by the content of messaging spew out to their supporters and sympathizers,” Nimba Press Club (NPC) observed in a press release.
“At this critical juncture in Liberia’s democratic sojourn, the club further calls on candidates in the Nimba senatorial by-election contestation to conduct their campaign rallies responsibly. Such conduct, it is anticipated, will be pillared on the carved mantra of progressive development the populace of the county expects to benefit by voting for either of the contending candidates as the ultimate victor,” the NPC stated.
At the same time, the NPC is calling on all eligible voters associated with the Nimba County by-election to vote the choicest amongst the contending candidates based on tracked competency, verifiable credibility, un-sporadic integrity and proven respect for humanity. “While the NPC respects voters’ confidentiality, the organization, however, charges the electorates to steer clear of voting for candidates based on skewed political philanthropism, sectional alignment, tribal sympathy or bandwagonism which has the propensity of splintering the county along political and other divisive lines.
“Similarly, the NPC flaunts the press as a key pivot in the enhancement of democratic tenets. The NPC therefore cautions the press to combat the tactics of politicians using media actors to carry on what is known as “attack dog journalism”- the practice whereby media practitioners attack one another in support of their preferred political candidates.
“The Press Club further calls on the press, particularly those providing coverage for the by-election in the county to be objective in their coverage of the campaign activities of all the participating candidates in a way that reflects credibility to their profession,” the NPC press release continued.
Meanwhile, the NPC says they view information management as critical to all electioneering processes. The Press Club therefore reminds the National Election Commission (NEC) that for elections to be viewed as free, fair and credible, electorates have an entitlement to information uninterruptedly at all stages of the electoral process. “Additionally, NPC views electioneering as rules-based game in which the umpire (NEC) must ensure that the governing rules are stringently upheld by all participants as a shield against incendiary rhetoric and electoral-related violence.”