(Monrovia, May 5, 2017) — We congratulate the Government and people of Liberia for their vibrant democracy and their successful voter registration process. We are initiating a series of private discussions with presidential aspirants of political parties who wish to engage with the U.S. Embassy. The first dialogue took place today with Cllr. Dr. Jallah Barbu of the New Liberia Party. The U.S. Embassy will continue these dialogues in the weeks that follow in order to better understand the platforms, priorities, and philosophies of the aspirants. We wish Liberia a successful election that is free, fair, open and peaceful. U.S. Embassy meetings with political aspirants will be closed to the press.