After the War

The radios are going strong...

2011-10-14T11:09:00.000-07:00

I'm currently in IRC's Zorzor office (yes, I'm on my blog at work - but I'm working after hours, so I feel less badly about it!). The radios are going strong here. In every office, the radio is blaring, people listening intently to the election counts. I find it interesting how everyone here is so drawn to listening to the election results. In America, you would probably not find that at all. Of course, there are a number of political junkies who tune into the news to see which candidates have won, but there are far fewer who will intently listen to the results live as they role in (especially for the representatives/senators, which is what is currently being broadcast).

And here in Liberia, this process doesn't even happen over one day. It happens over the course of a week! I'm also surprised that it's not only the educated who are so drawn to finding out the results. All of my IRC colleagues are very educated, so I guess they're not representative of the majority of the country. But even in Monrovia, our driver was glued to the radio the night after elections as the results rolled in. There's been an obsession among some radio and TV stations in trying to report results prior to official ones being released. I guess the Liberian population's obsession with hearing the results lies largely upon the fact that who wins and who wins could determine whether or not the country will return to war, or even if that's not entirely true, at least the fear lies there. This is just my guess. It also could be because Liberians are just so excited about the elections in general - this is after all the first election after the war organized solely by Liberians, rather than by the UN.

Currently, Ma Ellen has 45% of the counted vote, while CDC has about 25% (it's somewhere in the 20s, I can't remember the exact number). She needs 51% of the vote to win without a runoff. Currently 629,000 of the votes have been counted. No one knows exactly how many people voted, but there are approximately 1.3 million registered voters, so about half of the votes have been counted if everyone who registered actually voted. One of the other expats in Zorzor thinks that Ma Ellen might just get 51% of the vote, and this worries him. He seems to believe that CDC will raise a fuss and start something if there is no runoff because everyone's been expecting a runoff. I'm not sure what to feel about this, and many of the Liberians from the office are already gone for the day to ask them about it. Also, even if I did ask them, they might not be entirely open with me about this. I've noticed that Liberians sometimes reserve their political opinions when around me or other expats, which makes me sad. I love hearing what people think!

So far though, everything is peaceful. When I arrived back in Zorzor last evening from Monrovia, the UP supporters were hosting a party at one of the local bars, celebrating their "victory" (because Ellen already has such a large percentage of the vote). Meanwhile, there were some people across the street (I'm guessing CDC supporters) sitting there looking dejected, sad they couldn't celebrate too. At least there seemed to be no tension there between the two groups. Let's hope it stays this way!

News Roundup - Election Day

2011-10-11T16:56:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the links I've found with news about the Liberian elections:

Liberia: A Time to Change Perceptions? (my favorite story thus far!)

Liberia goes to the polls - in pictures

On Election Day, Liberians Choose Between Johnson and Weah

Can Liberia's leading lady fight off election challenge?

Liberia election: Large turnout in Sirleaf-Tubman vote

Voting smooth as Liberians choose president

Liberians vote to decide whether to re-elect Africa's only female president and Nobel winner

Liberia election: What's at stake as 16 run for president

Liberia: Two Horse Race for 2011 Elections

Liberia: Opposition Would Welcome Warlord Charles Taylor Home

Liberia: Observers Delighted with Electoral Polls

Liberians turn out in force for national vote

Meanwhile, I did a little bit of observing at the polls myself today (shhh! Don't tell my boss I was out of the compound!). A friend and I walked up to the closest polling station, across from the American International School. We went in the mid-afternoon, after a lot of the crowds had died down (morning was apparently the busiest time, despite the heavy rains that we had). It was an interesting site to see, three lines formed at three separate polling stations. Votes were cast under the roofs of little palava huts. Cardboard constructions formed screens behind which voters could cast their ballots. Liberian observers monitored the events, and polling officials sat in blue smocks, making everything ran orderly. One line of people had to stand waiting in a large pool of water in order to cast their votes, the result of flooding from the morning's heavy rains. Onlookers watched and crowded around, though everything appeared really peaceful. My friend and I spoke to a gentleman who explained what each line was for, and noted that this year's elections were so much different than the ones that took place in 2005 right after the war. He said that the turnout was so much larger this time around - in 2005, people were afraid to be seen out voting, afraid of the violence that might ensue, and afraid that others would look to see who was voting for what candidate. Everyone at the polling booths thought my friend and I were either international election observers or journalists. Haha, I wish.

I've been listening to a Liberian TV/radio broadcast on and off today (sadly I don't have a real radio, so I've been listening to the radio broadcast that comes on my TV every few hours). The reports from this morning noted that all was peaceful throughout the country at the polling station. At least this morning, the elderly were showing up in full force, though more youth began to turn out throughout the day. The broadcasters said that voters were turning up patting other voters on the back in good-natured rivalry, chanting, "We will win!", but never specifying which candidate they were voting for. This evening, unofficial polling counts have been coming in on the radio VERY slowly (mostly from Monrovia, since other place are hard to reach). The race between the Unity Party and the Congress for Democratic Change seems incredibly tight! However, Monrovia's voting tendencies are very different from elsewhere in the country.

Will keep posting updates as I have them. The official results will not be announced until either October 24th or 26th. Please keep praying during this time period!

The Elections

2011-10-10T17:23:00.001-07:00

After the War

October 10, 2011

This blog is long overdue. It’s hard to believe that the time since I arrived in Liberia, on August 17^th, has flown by so quickly already, but alas it has, and I have yet to chronicle a single incident or a single thought or observation. I blame this lack of bloggage on three things: having to complete my dissertation (which was handed in! Woohoo!), the lack of internet up until now, and the recently acquired massive workload at my job. However, it is quite an exciting time in Liberia at the moment, so I needed to document some of what I’ve been observing.

First, some of you may be wondering what I’m even doing here in Liberia. I am one of the very fortunate chosen to be a 2011-2012 Princeton in Africa fellow, something that I’ve been hoping to do since my freshman year of college in 2006-2007. Princeton in African hopes to channel some of the passion and the knowledge of recent college graduates into the work of various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) throughout Africa, and to, in turn, inspire a lifelong passion for Africa in the the fellows. Of course, PiAf didn’t need to sell me on Africa because I was already sold several years ago! J I’ll be working as the Grants Intern for the International Rescue Committee’s operation in Liberia. I’m supposed to be based in the city (more like a town, in my opinion) of Voinjama, where I arrived at the beginning of September (after having spent three weeks learning the ropes in Monrovia), though I’ll be traveling a lot, as I am at the current moment.

Second, it should be noted why I chose the name that I did for this blog. It’s no secret that my academic specialty has been conflict resolution and post-conflict peacebuilding. This rather unique interest is in fact what led me to Liberia, as opposed to other places in Africa, in the first place. I hope to observe, as best I can in the job that I have, how the people are rebuilding in the aftermath of war. However, I wouldn’t force such a name on this blog if I didn’t in fact feel it entirely appropriate. The devastating effects that the war had on this country are evident in almost every corner that you turn to. It’s evident in the bombed out and bullet-ridden buildings that dot not only the countryside of Lofa County (where I normally reside), but also in the capital of Monrovia. It’s evident in the stories of my internet repair-man who told me about all of the different African countries he’s been to as a result of seeking refuge during the war. It’s evident in the passing mentions that my Liberian work colleagues make in regards to the time that they spent in the refugee camps or in the dreams and opportunities that were stolen. It’s evident in the UN-sponsored billboards, proclaiming “Ballots, not bullets.” It’s evident in the fleet of UN helicopters sitting at Roberts Airport, or in the fact that approximately 2/3 of the vehicles operating in Voinjama seem to be owned by the UN battalion stationed there. It’s evident in the churches, where every Sunday, congregants are petitioned to pray for the nation, that there will be no outbreaks of violence or return to war with the upcoming elections in October. It’s evident in the accusations that politicians make against their opponents, of being “warmongers”. It’s evident in the stories people tell of the atrocities committed, sometimes with laughter in their voices as they try to distance themselves from the sheer horror of such experiences (“Prince Johnson! He killed people-o!”). It’s evident in the murmurings of several Liberians that I’ve heard, who longingly say, “Before the war, the whole city had electricity…”, “Before the war, we had so much more culture…” But alas, it is no longer before the war, and Liberia is forced to cope with a post-war reality. This reality is as bleak as it is hopeful: bleak in that infrastructure, health services, and development were destroyed by the war and in that ethnic tensions do still exist within the country, but hopeful in that the country has relatively been at peace for the past eight years, that the country has a relatively functional democracy, and that Liberians are aspiring to build their country.

It is in this vein that I hope to chronicle my adventures for the year: documenting Liberia’s (and its peoples’) hopes and joys, its fears and setbacks, etc. And of course I’ll be adding in my own doings and adventures!

There’s so much that I’ve experienced in the past month and a half that I eventually hope to document. However, given that Liberia’s first round of presidential elections is this Tuesday, October 11^th, I’ll at the moment be sharing a little bit about what I’ve been observing.

This will be only the second election that Liberia will have since the end of the war in 2003. Following the war’s end, an interim government ruled over the country for a few years in order to lay the country’s constitutional framework. Then, in 2005, Liberia’s first elections took place. Though Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf did not win the first round of elections (George Weah, a famous soccer star had more votes, though still not a high enough percentage to take the elections in only one round), she narrowly won against Weah in the second round. Since then, President Johnson (aka “Ma Ellen” or “The Woman”) has worked in building up the country, made Liberia debt-free with a strict economic program, introduced universal and free primary education, promoted women’s rights, and much more. However, there’s also much that she has been criticized for, including not doing enough to combat unemployment and leading an extremely corrupt government. Outside of her governmental record, she’s also been heavily scrutinized for not having “clean hands”. Liberia’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission found that President Johnson had contributed money to the notorious warlord and former president Charles Taylor in the early years of his campaign to retake Liberia. She has admitted that this is true, but defended her actions by saying that Taylor had yet to demonstrate his cruel tendencies and expressed one of the few options for overthrowing the Liberian dictatorship being run by Samuel Doe.

After six years of working to slowly rebuild a country virtually destroyed by war and maintaining a tenuous peace, Ellen is running for reelection, and once again must face off against (in a manner) the popularity of George Weah. Weah is running for the same party as he had previously, the Congress for Democratic Change (aka CDC), though this time for Vice President, with Winston Tubman (adopted son of a former Liberian president) as his presidential running mate. There are many more candidates who are also running in the race, so many in fact that the likelihood of having only one round of elections is very slim: the sheer number of candidates will definitely split the vote so that no one gains a majority the first time around (I think that the initial list of candidates was narrowed down to 16, though I could be wrong). Ellen and Winston Tubman (whose strength as a candidate is being boosted by Weah’s popularity) are by far the candidates most likely to win the race, though other candidates also stand a fair chance. For example, Prince Johnson, an ex-warlord who had filmed himself torturing and executing former president Samuel Doe, stands a fair chance of doing very well in Nimba County, where he currently is a senator.

The Liberian elections have been extremely interesting for me in the discussions that they have sparked and the things that I have seen. Many youth strongly support the opposition CDC. I asked two of my friends in Monrovia who they intended to vote for for president. One said, “George Weah.” In response, I said, “George Weah isn’t even running for president!” My friend said, “Well, I’ll vote for whoever he’s running with. He’s a great soccer star!” Many youth are single-mindedly voting for the party because of the fame of VP candidate. However, many youth are also very tired of the current status quo. My friend also added that Ellen is very corrupt and she does not deserve to continue running the country because of this.

At the same time, many Liberians, especially those among the educated class, are very supportive of President Johnson, pointing to the good economic opportunities she’s presented, her introduction of universal and free primary education, her maintenance of peace, and her commitment to the advancement of women. While those who are against Ellen claim that the country is still developmentally at rock bottom, her supporters defend her by noting that transformation in any environment takes time, and it will take even longer for a country where 14 years of war destroyed virtually everything.

Ultimately, Liberian politics is divided. It’s refreshing for me, however, to see this division in an African country. It is not often enough that the political climate on this continent is open enough to tolerate dissent against the ruling party. This is of course not the case in every African country, but for a country emerging from war and with a recent history of dictatorships, it is remarkable that the political regime has not clamped down on criticism in the name of maintaining stability and order (take Rwanda, for example, where any criticism of the government is frequently deemed to constitute a propagation of “genocidal ideology”).

No matter what candidate that Liberians support, many do seem to agree on two points: 1) That politics in Liberia is not ideologically driven and is more about personality; 2) This is so because most people who go into politics in Liberia (especially those running for the senate or the house of representatives) do so out of a desire for personal gain. I can’t even begin to tell you the number of people, educated and uneducated alike, who have stated this exact sentiment. They decry the lack of experience and education that most politicians have, stating that these candidates are only running for office because politics is the easy life. I’ve heard countless stories of politicians who switch parties or create their own party when they have not received the nomination of their initial political party. Who can blame them? Opportunities for corruption within Liberian politics seem numerous. Not to mention the nice benefits that these politicians legally acquire should they win their elections: according to two of my friends, Liberian politicians get housing and food paid for, hefty personal salaries, and allowances for each of their family members in addition to their normal salaries.

Even in spite of many Liberians’ low opinion of the state of politics, many do seem more than willing to go out and campaign for their candidate and to go the distance to vote. While in Voinjama, I frequently saw trucks passing by with campaign posters plastered to the side and a couple of youth sitting in the bed of the truck with a big speaker blaring catchy music. I was in Voinjama when Tubman and Weah visited several weeks back, and boy was there a party going on in the street right outside the guest house they were staying in! While out for a drink with some friends this past Friday in Zorzor, I watched an open-air truck (think the size of a dump truck) pull up outside of the bar with people packed in like sardines. There had to be at least 100 people on that truck (which seemed to be CDC sponsored), with women sitting on the ground, knees up tight against their chests, people standing in the middle, others seemingly sitting on top of those sitting on the floor of the truck by balancing on the edges of the truck’s walls (i.e., they could fall off onto the road at any moment since only their feet were dangling on the truck’s insides). I asked my colleague what this truck was for. He told me that even though tons of people live in Monrovia, they are registered in other counties, but cannot really afford the transport back home. So political parties sponsor trucks for their supporters to go back home to vote. This particular truck was going from Monrovia all the way to Voinjama, which is at least a seven hour drive if, a) you’re speeding, b) it’s daylight, c) it’s not raining, d) you don’t get stuck in the potholes and mud. I did not envy those people. And this was not the only truck I saw either. On the trip from Zorzor to Monrovia yesterday, I saw quite a few trucks full of people like this.

Speaking of the Zorzor to Monrovia trip, what a crazy experience! It should have been 5 ½ - 6 hour trip. It took 9 hours! 3 ¼ of those hours were spent moving from the outskirts of Monrovia to my apartment, probably a 20 minute ride under normal circumstances. However, yesterday was the official last day of campaigning for all of the parties. Most parties had representatives out, though CDC and UP were out in full force. Though I had initially been unhappy about having to come to Monrovia for the elections period (I wanted to stay in Voinjama), I’m happy I witnessed the insane campaigning, even if it did make our trip into the city a bit unbearable. There were people marching everywhere, chanting slogans, dancing and singing, throwing T-shirts, holding signs with catchy slogans, riding in trucks and cars and on motorcycles. I saw cars with their trunks open and people packed into the back and sitting on the hood of cars and on the roofs. The junction of Tubman Boulevard and the road leading to Samuel K. Doe Stadium (aka SKD, where all of the UP supporters were going to hear Ma Ellen make a speech) was especially a site to see. I glanced down the road to SKD from Tubman, and saw nothing but a sea of people, marching in full force. Everyone was so excited, and the campaigning was pretty good natured, even if the CDC and UP supporters did taunt each other a bit when they crossed paths.

I’ve loved reading the campaign posters, especially those from the Unity Party (UP – Ellen’s party), which tend to have the most catchy slogans. My favorite slogan (and I’m sad I never got a picture of this billboard!) says “Monkey still working. Let Baboon wait small.” In other words, the “Monkey” represents someone who is clever and diligent, which would be Ellen. The baboon is less clever and diligent. In Liberia, to “wait small” means to wait a while. So those trying to contest the Johnson presidency should wait until she’s completed the good work that she’s been doing for the country.

This also seems to be the slogan most picked up upon by members of all parties. One of my favorite things that I saw on the road yesterday were the CDC supporters dancing around with a banana tied to a string, the alleged bait to capture the UP monkey. The guy holding this banana then started eating it to show the UP what he thought of their monkey. Sadly, the picture I tried to take of this did not come out because my camera broke right when I wanted pictures the most (I’ll going to have to steal the pictures one of the other guys in the car took with his camera). In return, the UP supporters were dancing around with stuffed baboons, kicking them around on the ground. It was really exciting to see how excited Liberians are for these elections, and the peaceful demonstrations were encouraging.

Yet even though the campaigning has been peaceful, I’m still unsure how to gage what is going to happen over the next couple of weeks. Both the security people at IRC and my acquaintances from the UN seem to think that nothing is really going to happen, that all remain peaceful. Comparing it to the last election in 2005, they say that the political climate is quite different, that there is little tension, that the former combatants have been disarmed (many still had arms last time), and that the last elections set a good precedent for constitutional means of resolving election disputes (when Weah lost the election in 2005, he challenged the results in the constitutional court, and when they said that Ellen had won the elections fairly, he backed down). However, I’m not so certain that the situation will remain secure for a couple of reasons. 1) Every week in church we very urgently pray for no violence during the elections. I’ve witnessed these requests at more than one church. I have yet to figure out if these urgent prayer requests are driven out of fear of the past or if they are driven out of an unspoken recognition among Liberians that tensions are escalating. 2) Within the past year and a half, there have been outbreaks of religious/ethnic violence in Lofa. Luckily, however, these have remained relatively confined. 3) I’m a little bit worried about how the recent receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize by President Johnson can be manipulated by the opposition should they lose the elections. This gives them grounds for claiming external influence in the elections and for not accepting election results. 4) I recently read an article that said the warlord Charles Taylor could be acquitted by the Special Court for Sierra Leone, and if this happens, he would return back to Liberia right during the middle of the election period. Though a minority, the article claimed that Taylor still has quite a few supporters within the country. This scares me.

I think perhaps I’m just being a bit paranoid. Though I’ve been in post-conflict countries, I’ve never been in a country where the dividing line between war and peace is still so recent. Several of my colleagues think I’m worried about the elections because I worry about my own safety. That’s not it at all actually (although, I must admit that I did more of stuff with me on my short weeklong trip from Voinjama to Monrovia than I normally would have, just in case things go awry). I know that IRC has good plans in place for its employees should anything happen. What I’m worried about is the fate of Liberians should violence break out again, especially my friends and colleagues that I’ve grown to care about in the time I’ve been here. They’re so tired of war, so tired of suffering. And yet, sometimes taking up arms once more may seem like the best option to the disenfranchised minority when political change comes too slow. I’m hoping and praying that this is not the case – though war may benefit a select few, it is bound only to destroy the majority of others and to upset the many gains that Liberia has made within the past few years. I’m hoping and I’m praying that “after the war” does not once more become “during the war”. Only time will tell, so we must wait and see.