Accra, Sept 26, GNA - Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has returned home from Monrovia, Liberia, after undertaking a pre-election assessment tour as co-Special Envoy of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS.)

General Abdulsalam Abubakar, former Head of State of Nigeria, is the other co-Special Envoy of ECOWAS.

A statement signed by Mr Frank Agyekum, the Spokesperson of former President Kufuor, said the two former leaders expressed satisfaction at the ourtcome of their meetings with all stakeholders in the electons to be held on 11th October 2011.

Those they met included representatives of all the 19 political parties contesteting the presidential poll, civil society organizations, religious groups, officials of the United Nations Mission in Liberia, the Inepedent National Electoral Commission and the media.

At separate meetings with the civil society organs, former President Kufuor urged them to the take the ‘middle road’ between conteding factions in the political field.

He said civil society must act as the third force to balance the equation in the political arena by remaining unattached to any one side and bringing up critical issues that would help to chart a progressive path for the country.

Former President Kufuor appealed to the media to be alive to their responsibilities as the Foruth Estate of Realm and help to nurture democracy instead of destroying it.

“It is bounding on media operators to promote issues that will bring peace, unity and development. They can therefore not claim to be the ’mirror of society’ and therefore publish or braodacast anything that come their way, he said.

The two former leaders also held talks with President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf who is seeking a second five- year term.