MONROVIA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Political parties in Liberia have entered an accord to uphold peace during the general elections in the country later this year.
All 22 registered parties signed the agreement at a ceremony held in the nation's capital Monrovia, according to a statement by the National Elections Commission on Wednesday.
The political parties presented their agreement to the head of the local electoral body, the statement said.
The peace accord by the political parties "signifies that the 2017 elections will be successful and peaceful," said electoral chief Jerome George Korkoya.
The signing marked the first time registered political parties committed themselves to violence-free elections in the African country.
Korkoya told reporters that the electoral body was working to ensure that the Oct. 10 elections were conducted "in the most transparent and credible manner."
There were reports of several deaths and injuries in the violence which marred the country's presidential elections in 2011.
During the forthcoming polls, the president will be elected after a two-round voting system and 73 members of the House of Representatives will emerge through a first-past-the-post voting process in single-member constituencies.
