ALP ready for showdown

Partisans, supporters and sympathizers of the All Liberian Party or ALP are gearing up for the official launch of the party’s campaign in Montserrado County this Friday, 15 September, less than 30 days to presidential and representative elections in Liberia.

The ALP is headed by businessman-turned politician Benoni Urey, who is vying on October 10th to become Liberia’s next president. Organized and subsequently certificated by the National Elections Commission in 2015, it has become one of the fast growing registered political parties in the country with established chapters in all 15 political subdivisions.

An accomplished businessman, ALP Standard bearer Benoni Urey is also Ex-commissioner of formerly Liberia Maritime Commission, now the Liberia Maritime Authority. He stresses adequate national policy planning and wants the Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs, now merged with the Ministry of Finance, recreated to properly plan the country’s development agenda.

Urey and the ALP are campaigning on the promise to fix Liberia, calling on electorate to elect the Liberian entrepreneur to the Executive Mansion In the first national debate held on 17 August among the top six candidates in the race, including the ALP presidential hopeful, Urey continues that budget deficit persists because the government appears to be business unfriendly, saying, “We will continue to have deficit unless we plan properly.” He points out that 80 percent of the budget is being spent on recurrent expenditure, particularly salaries and other benefits, while the remaining 20 percent which is very insufficient, is directed at development.

The first major face to face interaction among candidates vying for the Liberian presidency, the debate brought together four of the top six candidates, including Cllr. Brumskine of the Liberty Party, Vice President Joseph Nyumah Boakai of the governing Unity Party, All Liberian People Party (ALP) standard bearer, businessman Benoni Urey, and coca cola executive Alexander B. Cummings of the Alternative National Congress.

Coalition for Democratic Change standard bearer Senator George Weah and the standard bearer of the Movement for Economic Empowerment Dr. Joseph Mills Jones, who were also invited to the debate, did not attend.

It was organized by Deepening Democracy Coalition or DDC, a media conglomerate under the auspices of the Open Society Initiative of West Africa or OSIWA.

-Story by Jonathan Browne