• LNP Issues Stern Warning Against Unauthorized Mass Assembly at NEC Today, Source: INSIGHT
• WAJA Condemns Attack on Journalists in Liberia, Sources: The ANALYST, The INQUIRER, and The New Dawn
• Engineering students demand quality learning, Sources: Daily OBSERVER and The New Dawn
• Radio Harper gets 250 kilowatts transmitter, Source: The New Dawn
• In Liberian slum, residents demand change from next president, Source: Reuters
• How the Liberian youth rose in defense of democracy, Sources: Signal and The Cable

LIBERIA MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

LNP Issues Stern Warning Against Unauthorized Mass Assembly at NEC Today, Source: INSIGHT

The Liberia National Police (LNP) has warned against any “unauthorized mass gathering” of people at the headquarters of the National Elections Commission (NEC) in the Monrovia suburb of Sinkor today Monday. Police spokesperson Sam Collins told a news confab over the weekend that the LNP is hearing about a mass gathering of people at NEC headquarters. Collins says the LNP will not allow any unauthorized gathering of individuals at the electoral commission’s premises.

The police spokesperson also said that the police will remain deployed across the country to ensure the safety of the people and properties during and after the elections. “We believe that while people have the right to exercise their franchise, there are laws that govern gatherings, protests, and demonstrations,” Mr. Collins pointed out.

WAJA Condemns Attack on Journalists in Liberia, Sources: The ANALYST, The INQUIRER, and The New Dawn

The West African Journalists Association (WAJA) has joined its affiliate, the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) in condemning the arson attack on the home of journalist Smith Toby and the assault on reporter James Karimu of Prime FM in separate incidents.

While backing calls for "the investigation into the arson attack on the home of Mr. Toby to be exhaustive, credible, and the outcome released in a timely manner,” WAJA urges the Liberian government and all political leaders to take immediate actions to end impunity for crimes against journalists.

WAJA says it is totally unacceptable for journalists to be targeted on account of the jobs they do, and therefore, challenges competing supporters and security personnel to recognize the critical role of media practitioners especially in the electioneering period. At the same time, WAJA urges journalists to exercise the highest possible safety measures and professionalism and remain fearless in the discharge of their duties.

The West African media body wishes Liberia well as the country breaks new grounds in its democratic development, but also reminds all Liberians that the whole world is watching them and no infraction of the peace will go unnoticed. Read more

Engineering students demand quality learning, Sources: Daily OBSERVER and The New Dawn

The College of Engineering and Technology at the William V. S. Tubman University in Maryland County risks closure for one semester to allow the administration to address concerns of protesting students of the college. Protests by students have disrupted normal academic activities at the institution including ongoing midterm examinations.

In a letter to the vice president for academic affairs and supervisor of students affairs, Dr. Elizabeth Carbojosa, the aggrieved students said they are faced with numerous challenges that are seriously hampering their learning process, specifically in the engineering college, and could no longer exercise patience with the present conditions.

Among the challenges, they name lack of practical training for courses such as highway engineering, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, and soil mechanic. Read more

Radio Harper gets 250 kilowatts transmitter, Source: The New Dawn

Radio Harper, a community radio station in Harper, Maryland County has received a 250 kilowatts transmitter. The transmitter was donated Saturday by Mr. Eric Giko, a Marylander residing in the United States.  Mr. Giko had previously provided a 20-watt FM transmitter to the Voice of Truth.  The former representative aspirant of Pleebo Sodoken District said the donation has no political motive.

However, Giko calls on the management of the station to use the transmitter to educate and inform the community and in the same vein urges local authorities to provide financial support for community radio stations across the county. Read more

INTERBNATIONAL MEDIA ON LIBERIA

In Liberian slum, residents demand change from next president, Source: Reuters

Crammed into tumble-down shacks on a sandspit that the Atlantic Ocean is steadily devouring, the residents of Liberia’s most notorious slum have one common desire: an end to their daily struggle with dire poverty. Next month, when the 75,000 inhabitants of the capital Monrovia’s West Point neighborhood decide who should be the next leader of Africa’s oldest republic, an ex-soccer star or the current vice president, they will not be nostalgic. “The last president didn’t give any help to the common people - no improvement, no development,” said Ishmael Campbell, a 26-year-old fisherman born and raised in the shantytown. “We need a president who will be there for us.” While the world has feted President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, for keeping the peace after a prolonged civil war, those living in West Point take a dimmer view of her 12-year tenure. Read more

How the Liberian youth rose in defense of democracy, Sources: Signal and The Cable

The October 10 Liberian election was significant to Liberia, Africa and the future of democracy for diverse reasons. Key amongst them was the fact that this was the first time, post-war Liberia will witness a peaceful democratic transition from one democratically elected government to another if things don’t go south. Secondly, it was an election determined by the youth who turned out to vote for their preferred candidate. The resilience they demonstrated despite the challenges they faced in during election was unprecedented.

Demographically, Liberia has a predominant youth population. The youth share of the country’s 4,299,944 population is estimated at 65%. According to the National Electoral Commission, 2,183,629 registered to vote in all fifteen counties. With a median age of 18, Liberia is one of Africa’s youngest population with high levels of poverty and unemployment owing to two decades of war (1989–1996 and 1997–2003) occasioning collapse of state infrastructure and poor economic growth. Over the last 12 years, the country experienced massive reconstruction under the incumbent President, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf – Africa’s first female President. Though the country is peaceful, the tension between the natives and settlers still persists. Ex-combatants and dissidents of the war still left on the sidelines. Youth dependency ratio is as high as 77.4%. All these culminated into threats that could slide the country into another era of political instability but this was not the case during the 1st round of the Presidential election. Read more