President Boakai Criticizes International Focus on Election Peace Over Leadership Quality

President Joseph Boakai has stated that the international community often prioritizes peaceful elections over the quality of leadership they produce. He made these remarks while addressing a crowd of young Liberians. President Boakai criticized the global tendency to judge elections only by the absence of violence. He suggested that foreign observers are quick to call an election peaceful if no one is killed, regardless of who is elected. He argued that these observers do not concern themselves with whether a peaceful election will result in good governance. The President's comments highlight a demand for more substantive international engagement.