By Lewis The with additional files
The people of Bassa land on Saturday, May 27, embraced Cllr. Charlyne Brumskine, the daughter of late Cllr. Charles Brumskine, founder of Liberty Party (LP) as running mate to Mr. Alexander Cummings to lead the Collaborating Political Parties ticket ahead of the 2023 general polls in October.
In a county with no well-defined political allegiance, as things stand, the massive turned out in show of support for Charlyne Brumskine as she was being announced as vice running mate to Mr. Cummings signaled an emerging stronghold for the young Cllr. Brumskine stepped in the shoes of her late father.
The supporters who came in their numbers from districts within Grand Bassa and its surroundings gathered at Buchanan City Fairgrounds hosting the pavilion, to witness the official endorsement of Cllr. Brumskine.
Also in their numbers were several traditional cultural and mask dancers from Grand Cape Mount, Margibi, Rivercess, and Grand Bassa Counties who entertained thousands of partisans, supporters, sympathizers and well-wishers with folk songs and dances.
There were also dozens of CPP auxiliaries and civil society groups including the Paco Movement for Real Change, Muslims United for Better Liberia, Changes of Women Organization, Charlyne’s Angels, CPP USA Chapter, Liberia Solidarity Movement, and the African Creative Fashion Group.
The various groups held banners and chanted slogans of support and allegiance to the Cummings/ Brumskine ticket as they marched from Monrovia junction through Tubman Street to the Fairgrounds.
The official program began with a 12-member Elder Council of Grand Bassa welcoming and appreciating Mr. Cummings for his previous visits and selection of one of their daughters as his running mate.
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They later gowned the pair during a brief traditional ceremony as they pledged their support and loyalty to the CPP ticket. The elders also presented a symbolic cutlass to former Grand Bassa Senator Gbezhongar Findley for onward presentation to Mr. Cummings representing the swore of a leader.
In making the onward presentation, the former Foreign Minister who resigned from the George Weah administration pledged his support to the Cummings/ Brumskine ticket.
Unveiling Cllr. Brumskine as his vice standard bearer, Mr. Cummings informed CPP partisans that the CPP ticket was now complete and that both he and Charlyne were ready for the task ahead.
The former Coca-Cola Executive said together with Charlyne they will transform Liberia once given the opportunity during the October 10 polls.
Cummings told supporters that his choice of Vice Standard Bearer is up to the task, and he has explicit confidence in her leadership ability.
Cllr. Brumskine comes to the ticket as a political novice but with vast legal experience and integrity.
During her acceptance speech, Cllr. Brumskine rubbished claims that her lack of experience in working in government is not a prerequisite for her selection.
She admitted though that she is not a traditional politician but boasted that even though she has not had any experience working in government, has served her country in different capacities which are enough to qualify her as the right choice for the vice standard bearership.
“My fellow Liberians, there are many of you who have questioned whether it was the right time to accept a Vice Standard Bearer post in the nascent stage of my political sojourn. Many of you expressed strong views about me staying with the representative bid and or as some of you put “starting” at the bottom. To you, I say that no revolution was born out of perfect timing, history was never made by those who followed conventional formulas of how life should progress.
Societies in decline do not have the luxury to “wait your turn”. We must quickly grab the willing, best, and brightest. We must have an urgent sense of now! I am not a career politician and never sought out to be one. I came to the political discourse because I believe in a better Liberia. A Liberia of inclusivity. A Liberia led by honest, innovative, and courageous men and women. Leaders with a vision to transform our country coupled with the discipline and will to make the hard decisions to implement the vision.
Liberians I admit, I am not a traditional politician. I have never served in government. Yet, I have served my country. I have served through my law practice, I am the Founder and Managing Partner of CMB, a law firm that I established in 2018, which is one of the fastest-growing and respected providers of legal services in Liberia. I have served as a professor at the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law ensuring that legal scholars are equipped with a solid foundation of legal research and writing skills so that they too may serve our nation through the law.
I have served my country by providing educational assistance to scores of Liberians through financial aid. I have served by equipping the government hospital in Buchanan City with operational needs when the government itself had failed. I have served by providing solar lights in the darkest communities in Buchanan so that we minimize rape and armed robbery.
I have served by reviewing and drafting more Liberian laws and policies than most in government,” Cllr. Brumskine said.
