ANC holds tarry for 2017

Political parties here are resorting to holding fast and prayers ahead of the 2017 polls to invoke divine intervention in ensuring victory at the ballot box as the breakaway Alternative National Congress or ANC a splinter of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) has embarked on in Monrovia.

The holding of fast and prayers and all nights ahead of presidential polls is not new to the Liberian political landscape. In 2005 for example, many pastors where hired by politicians to conduct special daily prayers on their behalves.

The ANC is leaving no stone unturned as partisans, stalwarts, officials, including political leader Alexander Cummings spent Friday night at the party’s headquarters situated along the Airfield Shortcut route in the Monrovia suburb of Sinkor, seeking God’s favor and intervention in its quest for the presidency.

The ANC believes engaging Liberian electorate thru political speeches and promises is not enough, and has adapted a strategy of seeking the face of God to win the impending elections. National Chairman Orashall Gould, who is ex-chairman of Senator George Weah’s CDC, told this paper the all-night tarry is meant to invite God’s presence at the party grounds and his protection throughout the impending electoral process.

Gould intimated that nothing is wrong for a political party to pledge allegiance to God, especially as it heads for crucial and dedicate elections next year.  It was not established whether the Muslims community, which contributes 25 percent of the country’s population, was invited to the all-night tarry or given an opportunity to offer prayers.

The prayer night brought together partisans, Christians, sympathizers and friends of businessman-turned politician Cummings, set to take the ANC standard bearer seat.  Eyewitnesses from the event confided in this paper some partisans and officials were seen consuming alcoholic products during the night service; while others spent the night in liquor shops in what was supposed to be a sober and divine gathering.

However, Chairman Gould was dismissive, maintaining that God will indeed stand in the gap for the ANC as its gear up for the critical presidential election.  “The tarry and prayer on Friday night was intended to invoke God’s presence to our party headquarters and I don’t think anything is wrong with it. We believe that God exists; we acknowledge him in all our doings so, why can’t we invoke his presence to our party’s headquarters?”

He said the ANC leadership spent about US$150,000 to renovate the national headquarters, describing the premises as the best party headquarters in the country, something that could be disputed.

According to him, the ANC is not taking the impending elections lightly, vowing to put all measures into place to ensure victory comes October 2017. Meanwhile, Maryland County Electoral District #1 Aspirant Madame Mamie Finebo along with little over 100 partisans has joined the ANC.

Madame Finebo and her supporters resigned from the New Liberia Party and cast their burdens at the feet of the ANC with the hope it will meet their political expectations. She is expected to battle incumbent National Patriotic Party Chairman James Biney for the seat.

This is the second time the ANC has received partisans from other political parties. About 15 partisans headed by their Women Wing leader, Madam Catharine Toee sometime ago left the Movement for Progress Change (MPC) of another businessman Simeon Freeman and joined the ANC.

By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor-Editing by Jonathan Browne