The National Elections Commission (NEC) on July 23, commenced a two-day capacity-building workshop to strengthen political parties’ compliance with constitutional financial reporting requirements and promote greater transparency and accountability in Liberia’s democratic process.

The workshop brought together 49 representatives, including chairpersons, treasurers and financial officers from registered political parties, alliances and coalitions, to enhance their understanding of the constitutional and legal requirements governing the annual submission of political parties’ assets and liabilities reports due on September 1 each year. 

Opening the workshop, NEC Commissioner with Oversight Responsibility for Political Affairs, Boakai A. Dukuly, urged political parties to treat financial reporting as both a constitutional obligation and an opportunity to strengthen public trust.

He stressed that transparent financial reporting enhances the credibility of political parties among their members, supporters and the public, while reinforcing democratic accountability.

Commissioner Dukuly further reminded participants that compliance with Article 83(d) of the constitution is a legal requirement whose enforcement will continue to receive increased attention from the Commission.

“The Constitution requires political parties to report because accountability is fundamental to democratic governance. Financial reporting should not be viewed simply as an obligation to the Elections Commission, but as a demonstration of transparency to the Liberian people and to party supporters who invest in your institutions,” he stressed.

Providing an overview of the workshop, Samuel B. Cole, Deputy Executive Director for External Relations at NEC, acknowledged that while compliance has improved over time, technical challenges have continued to affect the consistency and the quality of reporting.

“The objective of this workshop is to strengthen reporting compliance by improving participants’ understanding of the legal requirements, familiarizing them with the revised 2022 reporting forms, and ensuring that political parties are fully prepared to meet the September 1 reporting deadline,” Cole said.

Roosevelt Zayzay, Programme Officer of UNDP Liberia Electoral Support Project (LESP), commended the strong participation of political parties, describing the attendance as a demonstration of their commitment to strengthening democratic accountability.

He emphasized that financial reporting extends beyond an accounting obligation, serving as an essential mechanism for promoting transparency and public confidence in Liberia’s electoral system.

“This training is one of the key activities under the Liberia Electoral Support Project and contributes directly to the project’s results framework. We encourage all participants not only to acquire new knowledge over the next two days, but to apply it by submitting accurate and timely reports after the workshop,” Zayzay said.

The LESP supports efforts to strengthen democratic institutions and promote inclusive, transparent, and accountable electoral processes in Liberia.

Throughout the two-day workshop, participants will receive training on the legal framework governing political finance, the responsibilities of political parties’ treasurers and financial secretaries, the revised reporting forms, campaign finance compliance, and practical completion of the September 1 assets and liabilities report through group exercises and facilitated discussions.

The workshop forms part of the LESP’s broader efforts to strengthen electoral institutions and stakeholders by improving transparency, accountability and compliance within Liberia’s democratic governance framework. It also supports NEC in fulfilling its constitutional oversight responsibilities while enhancing political parties’ capacity to comply with financial reporting obligations.

Implemented by the NEC in partnership with UNDP through the LESP, the workshop is designed around interactive presentations, practical exercises and hands-on completion of the revised reporting forms to improve the quality and timeliness of submissions. The LESP is managed by UNDP and implemented in partnership with UN Women and the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy, with funding support from the European Union, Ireland, and Sweden.