By Lincoln G. Peters
Presidential aspirant Amb. Joseph Nyumah Boakai has warned the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) to desist from election violence, stressing that no individual has monopoly over violence.
Mr. Boakai, standard bearer of the former ruling Unity Party (UP), addressed scores of supporters Monday, 14 August 2023 at his party’s “Rescue Mission” campaign headquarters in Sinkor, days after bloody clashes between UP and CDC supporters.
The former Liberian Vice President has sent a caveat that going forward, the UP will not bow down for anybody to walk on its supporters, warning that nobody has monopoly over violence.
“I want to say to them that it’s not the nature of the Unity Party to go into violence. But we want to say to all of our people including the CDCians that UP is not going to sit for people to walk over on them,” he said.
“We are not going to do that. Let me state this, nobody has [a] monopoly over violence,” Amb. Boakai added.
The opposition party assembled its supporters Monday for the naming of additional campaign team members after it postponed the process last Thursday due to clashes with the CDC that severely wounded others.
Several high-profile officials including Grand Bassa County Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon, and Madam Mandela Cooper graced the occasion.
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Also in attendance were Bong County Senator Prince Moyee, Gbarpolu County Senator Gbotoe Karneh, former Senator Arma Jallah, Bomi County ex-senator Sando Johnson, and Senator Wellington Smith, among others.
During the gathering, Amb. Boakai re-announced his rescue mission campaign team and made additional appointments both nationally and locally, affecting the 15 counties of Liberia.
Boakai explained that on the first day of campaign, President George Manneh Weah’s CDC paraded with a casket bearing his (Boakai’s) image, dramatizing his death.
Amb. Boakai noted that he doesn’t have problem with such an action, but the casket dramatized by CDCians will be used after the election to bury most of them.
He further stated that the concern of the UP is to go into this election and win it and restore hope and aspiration to the Liberian people.
“The country is suffering, and our ultimate goal is to take this country from CDC and give our people hope again,” said Amb. Boakai.
He accused Mr. Weah and his CDC government of doing nothing for this country.
Boakai claimed that Weah and his regime have allegedly stolen and corrupted the country enough.
“He has brought more suffering, drugs and poverty to the Liberian people. And so, enough is enough. We are taking our country to restore respect,” the opposition leader stated.
Amb. Boakai pointed out that with what Liberia is experiencing under President Weah, this is the time for decision-making.
According to him, people have to ask themselves if they are better off than they were twelve or six years ago.
While Mr. Boakai showed the respectability of campaigning, the fact of the matter is he is too old, too weak, too slow and lacking the tenacity to robustly address today’s generation!
He should have retired and given the young people the chance to carry on while he plays the role of a Senior Presidential Minister! I think the CDC government should consider such post when the elections are over so that people like Boakai will be a voice in government!