Yasmina Bouziane, UNMIL Spokesperson, Ellen Margrethe Løj, Special Representative of the Secretary-General

NEAR VERBATIM

Yasmina Bouziane (UNMIL Spokesperson)

Good morning ladies and gentlemen of the press. Thank you for coming to this press conference with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Madam Ellen Margrethe Løj.

Ellen Margrethe Løj (SRSG)

Thank you very much for those of you in the room and thank you especially to the UNMIL Radio listeners.

I want to underline that Tuesday the 11th of October is a very important day and I encourage all Liberians who have registered to exercise their democratic right and go to vote peacefully.

I would also like to tell all Liberians that on that day and the days to follow you will see UNMIL staff, police and the military on the streets and in the air all around the country. We are there to protect you so you go to vote in peace.

Eight (8) years ago Liberians accepted peace and we were her and we are here today and on Election Day so Liberians can accept democracy in peace. Our prime purpose is to protect you; by being present to deter any potential spoilers and to make it possible for all of you peace loving Liberians to go and vote for their preferred candidate freely and in peace.

I want to underline very seriously and reassure Liberians that this is why you will see us on the ground and in the air throughout the country. So that you can go in peace, with peace of mind, to carry out their civic duty - their right - to vote in peace

I have seen posters around including in UNMIL Headquarters and in the papers that says "Liberia is all we have" - Say no to violence.

So I appeal to all Liberians to say no to violence on Election Day, and to accept the results peacefully. To Political candidates and supporters alike, do not incite violence, allow all Liberians to go vote for their preferred candidates and let the Liberian people's voices be heard at the ballot box.  I appeal to you to accept the elections results peacefully

"Liberia is all you have", help build it democratically do not destroy it violently.

I thank you.

Question and Answer

Q:     Zoom Dosso(Radio France International  and French News Agency)
My question is about the additional troops that are coming. Are they coming from ECOWAS    or the United Nations?

    We know that there have been some problems at the border between Liberia and Ivory Coast.    Have you taken some measures to make that elections in those areas are going to be very     peaceful?

A:    Ellen Margrethe Løj (SRSG)
There are no extra troops coming from ECOWAS, there are no extra police coming from    ECOWAS. But the United Nations Mission in Liberia has had few extra troops and police     coming to the mission from our sister mission in Cote d'Ivoire; 150 troops and 100 form     police have come to help us guide the peace in Liberia.

    As for the border area, I have to underline that the border along the river bordering Liberia    and Cote d'Ivoire is a continue cause for Concern. We have not changed our vigilance in      relation to monitoring that border. We have up to the end of the conflict in Cote d' Ivoire     intensified our cooperation with the UN mission in the Ivory Coast in terms of coordination     patrols, sharing information, monitoring from the air; ONUCI has redeploy troops on the other     side of the border to coordinate the monitoring of the border. As we speak that attention will     continue throughout the election period.

Q:     William Selman (West Africa Democratic Radio)
What will be the extend of UNMIL involvement in these elections beside the routine security    provision?

A:    Ellen Margrethe Løj (SRSG)
Apart from our responsibility in relation to security in Liberia, the Security has given us a    specific mandate in relation to the elections: first to coordinate international assistance to     make the elections possible which we have done and support has been given to the National     Election Commission (NEC), the printing of the ballots, expert advice, posters and so on.

    Second, we have been giving the mandate to assist on the logistically challenges. That we    have done. We have assisted NEC in air lifting the election materials to parts of the     country we they have not been able to access by cars or trucks. The materials are out now, but     we are still working closely with NEC to assist them to make sure that on Tuesday the things     that need to be there, are there, otherwise there are no elections. We will continue to cooperate     with them and to monitor whether they need logistical assistance and will do our best to do so.

    Thirdly, we are mandated by the Security Council to use our good offices to work for an    atmosphere conducive to free, fair and non-violent election in Liberia and that we have been     doing by interacting with Political Parties, political candidates, civil societies, Faith     Organizations, to try and help them sort out their divergences in relation to the elections, and     most importantly for them to proceed in a peaceful manner and make sure these elections will     be a milestone in the history of Liberia and it will be a signal that all Liberians are dedicated     to the road of sustainable peace.

Q:     Zoom Dosso(Radio France International  and French News Agency)
Talking about spoilers during the election, how are you going to contain these people? Do you    have the mandate to arrest in case any violence or will you just limit your action to stopping     them?

A:    Ellen Margrethe Løj (SRSG)
It is clear that the first line of response to violence is the Liberia National Police (LNP) and we work very closely with them. What we are doing is, I am not going to tell you. But we will     not turn our backs if anybody tries to create violence. We will do that to protect all the peace     loving people in Liberia. And I will send my people on the streets to send every Liberian that assurance that we are should to should with them.