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MONROVIA, LIBERIA —Security concerns have been raised In Liberia following the deaths of at least two people in preelection violence. Political watchers say campaign messaging has deepened political divides, and are calling on the national police to be more proactive during the presidential and legislative elections set for Tuesday.
On the streets of Monrovia, university students chanted, "We want peace, Liberia is our only country; we want peace," as they distributed peace-branded handbills to commuters, urging voters to desist from violence.
Grace Yeah Yeaney, a student leader at the University of Liberia, says the deaths of two people due to electoral violence in Lofa County on September 29 is alarming.
"In Lofa, there was a clash where people lost their lives; there was a trickle of violence," she said. "You also find out that history has proven that sometimes in Liberia, our elections are very violent and so we are learning from the past and we are trying to conscientise our citizens, and the students are saying no to electoral violence."
Liberia's Peace Building Office, which develops policies for conflict resolution, says data collected around the country shows that campaign messaging has deepened political divides.
Edward Mulbah, the group's executive director, says six of Liberia's 15 counties are hot spots for potential violence.
"This election is going to be very much challenging. There are going to be sporadic tensions, some sporadic violence, but we think that the violence will be intensive, but may not be widespread," Mulbah said.
This is the first time Liberia is running a national election without the support of international partners, including the United Nations and the ECOWAS security forces, since civil war ended in 2003. ECOWAS is the Economic Community of West African States.
The National Elections Commission, in its first autonomous national vote, has introduced some reforms, including a new biometric voter system. Mulbah and the Peace Building Office say there hasn't been enough education on these new reforms.
"This is the very first time. Maybe they will make some mistakes along the road, but those mistakes are not being seen in the eyes of the citizens. They see these mistakes as deliberate in the part of the National Elections Commission to the advantage of the regime. So, we see that as potential for violence," Mulbah said.
Oscar Bloh, chairperson for the Elections Coordinating Committee, a network of civil society organizations that observe elections in Liberia, says the absence of international security partners will put a strain on police.
"The police, the internal security, they are faced with enormous challenges from limited human resource capacity, limited logistics, uniform issues, issues of finances to deploy across the country," Bloh said.
Liberia's National Police say they are committed to maintaining peace during and after the elections.
"We are adequately ready to provide security to this election, and this is a commitment we have made from the time we spoke to heads of political parties," said Moses Carter, a police spokesperson. "We have assured them of their safety and the safety of all Liberians."
Liberians will elect 73 legislators, 15 senators and a president on Tuesday. Nineteen candidates are attempting to unseat President George Weah.