The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2017

Today’s summary includes stories on the presentation of Letters of Accreditation by the new African Development Bank Director to Liberia; President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s congratulatory message to the Government and People of Spain, and the Elections Coordinating Commission among other stories.

New AfDB Director for Liberia Presents Letters of Accreditation

The new country director of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Orison Amu, has assured that during his tour of duty here, he will exert all efforts in strengthening the relationship between the bank and the Liberian Government, “making it deeper and stronger”. “The bank is in the middle of developing a new strategy for Liberia – a business plan. I’ve heard your kind guidance and direction. I will be listening to you and your colleagues during my tenure to tailor out interventions, specifically to address issues that are very important to this country,” Dr. Orison Mawumenyo Amu said. According to a Foreign Ministry release, Dr. Amu was speaking at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where he presented his Letters of Accreditation to Foreign Minister, Madam Marjon Kamara on Thursday, October 12, 2017. He replaces Ms. Margaret Kilo who ended her tour of duty here recently. Earlier, Foreign Minister Kamara welcomed Dr. Amu to Liberia, and said Government was pleased at his selection based on the confidence reposed in him by the AfDB president, Dr. Adesina, reports the Daily Observer.

Related Captions: New AfDB Country Director Presents Accreditation to Foreign Minister Kamara Show(Daily Observer),New AfDB Country Director Presents Letters of Accreditation (Heritage),New AfDB Country Director Presents Letters of Accreditation to Liberia’s Foreign Minister (Insight)   and New AfDB Country Presents Letters of Accreditation(Inquirer)

President Sirleaf Congratulates Kingdom of Spain on its ‘National Day’

Heritage newspaper quotes a Foreign Ministry release: President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has sent a message of congratulations to the King of Spain, His Majesty Felipe VI, on the occasion marking their National Day on Thursday, October 12. National Day (Fiesta Nacional de España) or Hispanic Day (Día de la Hispanidad) is celebrated as an annual national public holiday in Spain on October 12. It commemorates when Christopher Columbus first set foot in the Americas in 1492. The anniversary of Columbus' landing in the New World on October 12, 1492, is widely celebrated throughout the Americas; it is known as Columbus Day in the United States and as Dia de la Raza in various Latin American countries. Celebration of the anniversary in Spain dates to 1935, when the first festival was held in Madrid. The day was known as Dia de la Hispanidad, emphasizing Spain's connection to the Hispandad, the international Hispanic community. On November 27, 1981, a royal decree established Día de la Hispanidad as a national holiday. According to a Foreign Ministry release, President Sirleaf, on behalf of the Government and people of Liberia and in her own name, extended cordial congratulations to King Felipe VI and the people of Spain.

Related Caption: President Sirleaf Congratulates Kingdom Of Spain on its National Day(Insight)

ECC, Others Call on Political Parties to Let NEC Announce Election Results

According to the Daily Observer, the Elections Coordinating Committee (ECC), has released its preliminary findings nationwide polling centers and called on political parties, independent candidates and supporters to remain peaceful and desist from announcing elections results or claiming victory, and abide by the laws. Oscar Bloh, chairman of the ECC Steering Committee, made the call yesterday at a press conference in Monrovia and urged political parties and independent candidates with grievances regarding the electoral process and results to follow the laws and procedures as enshrined in the electoral laws and regulations. In the event of a runoff, chairman Bloh said: “The ECC encourages the contesting political parties to deploy trained agents to observe the voting, closing, counting and tallying of the results and to properly document their findings and avoid interfering with the process.” In a related development, The Carter Center said the election process enhanced the growing role of youth, providing them with opportunities to observe and engage through civil society organizations involved in the election process. This has made a positive impact on conflict prevention, it added.

Related Caption: ECC Releases Preliminary Statement On 2017 Polls(Heritage)

‘Supreme Court to Ensure Peaceful Transfer of Power’

Chief Justice Francis S. Korkpor says the Supreme Court has an extremely important role to keep the country stable and on the path of democracy and ensure a peaceful transfer of power from President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s to another democratically elected government.
Justice Korkpor said the Supreme Court is ready to dispense fairness, transparency and impartially in all cases that will emerge from the October 10 presidential and legislative elections. “We give further assurance that the wishes of the Liberian people, as expressed through their ballots, will be fully respected. Elections are about mass participation for the electorate to decide; no court will act otherwise to suffocate the process,” Korkpor said recently at the opening of the October 2017 Term of the Supreme Court. He noted that the court is manifested through the fair application of the rule of law to ensure protection for all, reports Daily Observer.

 ‘Tax Certainty’ Workshop Aims to ‘Get Investment Climate Right’ in Africa

From October 25 to 27, about 50 officials from 20 African tax administrations, ministries of finance and other international organizations will gather in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for the Consultative Workshop on Tax Certainty. The aim of the event is to explore “The role of tax policies and tax administrations in getting the investment climate right.” The event is co-hosted by African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) and Germany with the assistance of the Tanzania Revenue Authority, a dispatch has said. Participants are to discuss the concept of tax certainty, share international experiences and challenges, and then find practical solutions to address the issue of tax certainty in a developing country context. The meeting also convenes experts from business and civil society from the OECD and the IMF. Tax certainty is an important component of a good tax system. It helps to stabilize the expectations of both taxpayers and governments. It also refers to the creation and maintenance of stable regulatory and policy frameworks for tax administration, taxpayers and tax compliance, according to the Daily Observer.

2017 Polls: EU Observer Team Lauds Liberians for Peaceful Elections

The European Union Elections Observer Mission (EUEOM) has lauded Liberians for not just turning out in their numbers, but conducting peaceful elections across the country. The EU Observer team, at a press conference in Monrovia yesterday, described Election Day as calm and adequately conducted by the national electoral commission. “Before that, the election campaign was nearly entirely peaceful,” the mission’s Chief Observer Maria Arena said. Liberians mobilized for a democratic transition in elections, with the scope for legal and procedural improvements, she said. She said that voters, with the manner in which the polls were held, showed their strong desire to be part of the democratic process by participating in their great numbers at the polls. Political parties and the election administration, she advised, should keep their positive role to ensure that the will of the voters is reflected in the election results, writes the Daily Observer.

AU Liaison Office In Liberia, Office of The ECOWAS Commission In Liberia And UNMIL Joint Statement On The Liberian Elections

Liberia went to the polls for the Presidential and House of Representatives elections. The AULOL, ECOWAS and UNMIL welcomed the peaceful holding of the elections in Liberia and congratulate the people of Liberia who turned out enthusiastically in high numbers to vote. We also commend the efforts of the National Elections Commission (NEC), security institutions and all local and international all stakeholders involved in the elections. The supportive role of political parties, as partners of the NEC is very important in ensuring that the electoral process is free, fair and credible. We wish, therefore, to urge all political parties, partisans and citizenry alike to remain patient and wait for the elections results to be release by the NEC, reports the Heritage newspaper.

3 Suspected Armed Robbers Arrested

Police assigned at the Zone six  (6) depot have arrested three  (3) suspected armed robbers in the Brewerville Community is located in District #17, Montserrado County. The suspects Joseph Mulbah, Elijah Brown, Junior Robert were arrested during the early morning hours of Thursday, October 12, 2017. Speaking to journalists shortly after the arrest, Zone Six Chief Superintendent Blama Yancy, disclosed that the suspected robbers were arrested with four short single barrel guns, 31 rounds, and an unlicensed taxi cab. He said the men were arrested following a tipoff from a victim of the latest armed robbery attack in the community, reports Heritage newspaper.