MacDella Cooper,
the only female candidate in Tuesday's presidential election in Liberia,
on Monday joined hundreds of peace advocates at a concert for a
violence-free poll.
A News Agency of
Nigeria team covering the election reports that the concert ended a
three-month prayer and fasting camp by women from across the country.
Speaking to NAN,
Ms. Cooper stressed the need for all contestants and their supporters to
put the interest of the nation above self and respect the outcome of
the exercise.
"We are celebrating
the sustainability of our peace over the past 12 years, and its
continuation for the next 100 years, we hope.
"We had 14
year-long civil war, we sustained 12 years of peace, and in order to
develop this nation and build opportunities for our people - the youth,
women, fathers, we have to sustain peace.
"So peace is
critical to the next phase of our country. It is critical that we go to
the polls and vote and leave the polls with peace in mind.
"When the results
come out for all the candidates, especially myself, we should have to
accept the results, and not use violence as a way of solving our
problems, but to get to the legal authorities to dispute any concerns
that we may have."
Addressing the
gathering, the Chief Imam of Liberia, Ali Krayee, urged the people to
put the message of peace into practice before, during and after the
elections.
"Today, we all say
we want peace, but peace should not be a mere utterance; peace should be
what we think, what we love in our hearts, peace should be what we
live; peace should be manifested in the way we interact with one
another.
"But there can be
no genuine peace in our society without righteousness. As long as a
society keeps itself distant from God, that society will not know peace.
"So, we ask all of
our people to maintain the peace, no matter the circumstances; no matter
the cost. We have to do everything that is required to make this nation
peaceful."
NAN reports that
for the first time in 70 years, Tuesday's elections will see the
transfer of power from one democratically elected president to another.
The incumbent
President and Nobel Prize winner, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, is stepping
down after serving out her constitutional two terms of six years each.
Source: NAN
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