THE Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) yesterday condemned the pullout of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) from the Liberian rerun election.The rerun is holding throughout the country tomorrow after the first round of election on October 11, 2011 did not produce a clear winner.The CDC flagbearer, Amb. Winston Tubman had issued a statement after meeting with ECOWAS chairman President Goodluck Jonathan at the weekend in Abuja, informing the world about the withdrawal of CDC from the November 8, 2011 presidential run-off election. He called on CDC followers and Liberians in general to stay away from the polls, citing 'unaddressed CDC complaints about voting irregularities' in the course of the first round of the election.But the ECOWAS Commission maintained yesterday that it regarded this statement as 'unfortunate, as it is intended to undermine the election and the democratic process that Liberians are striving hard to consolidate.'The sub-regional group stressed: 'It also goes against the grain of the discussions that Ambassador Tubman held with the Chairman of the Authority.'In a statement which detailed the core of President Jonathan's meeting with Tubman, the commission said: 'At the meeting, the chairman (Jonathan) advised the CDC leadership against boycotting the remainder of the electoral process, and impressed upon them that it was too late in the day, and quite against the relevant ECOWAS Protocols, for the CDC to demand changes that would require a consensual constitutional process of amending relevant electoral laws.'Subsequently, the Chairman strongly urged Ambassador Tubman and all Liberians to endeavour to fully participate in the runoff in order to ensure a credible outcome and assist in the consolidation of democratic culture in the country.'It said further: 'In the light of the foregoing, the ECOWAS Commission deeply regrets the retrogressive tone of Ambassador Tubman's statement, which seeks to disrupt the concluding phase of the 2011 presidential election. ...The Commission wishes, therefore, to reiterate that, for its part, provided the preparations and conduct of the second round of the presidential election are adjudged by the competent authorities and endorsed by credible observers to be in accordance with the electoral laws of Liberia, the Community will proceed to recognise the verdict of the Liberian people.'The Commission would further like to seize this occasion to launch a final appeal to the CDC, and indeed all Liberian stakeholders, not to miss this historic opportunity of consolidating democracy and peace in the country, and to actively participate in the November 8, polls.
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