African Union Chairperson Moussa faki

MONROVIA, Nov. 2, 2017 (AltAfrika)-Leaders of the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have arrived Liberia in a bid to resolve the country’s political impasse.

Upon arrival, AU chair Alpha Conde and his ECOWAS counterpart Faure Gnassingbe held meetings with opposition parties and the governing Unity Party over the Nov. 7 presidential run-off.

The political impasse in Liberia followed claims of fraud in the first-round of voting on Oct. 10.

The Liberian Supreme Court late Tuesday halted the presidential run-off pending its hearing of the challenge to the first-round results by the disgruntled political parties.

Stakeholders in the local elections also attended the meeting with Africa’s regional leaders.

The meeting is expected to calm frayed nerves and urge political parties to stick to the peace accord earlier signed by their leaders.

Leading the challenge in court, Charles Brumskine, the candidate of the opposition Liberty Party, alleged the election was fraught with fraud and irregularities and called on the National Elections Commission to suspend the second-round voting until its case has been heard.

Citing some irregularities in the electoral process, the Liberty Party, the Alternative National Congress, and the governing Unity Party alleged electoral sabotage during the presidential poll.

The apex court has ordered the Liberty Party and the elections commission to file briefs by Thursday at the latest.

It is not certain if the court would rule on the pending case before Nov. 7, the day slated for the run-off.

Opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) candidate George Weah, who is the front-runner, and vice president Joseph Boakai of the governing party were to take part in the run-off.

Weah, a former soccer star, is leading the presidential race with 38.4 percent of the vote against Boakai’s 28.8 percent.