Delay not denial
Coalition for Democratic Change or CDC standard bearer Senator George Weah rallies his many supporters, partisans and sympathizers here on Wednesday, telling them that the ongoing rigmarole involving the opposition Liberty Party, the National Elections Commission and the Supreme Court is just to delay his election to the presidency, but cannot deny the CDC from becoming the next ruling party in Liberia come January, 2018.
Speaking on the grounds of the CDC headquarters in Monrovia, he says the delay will come to end in matter of days and the Coalition will through the democratic means take the helm of power, adding, “No delay tactics can deny the Coalition of victory.”
Senator Weah and Vice President Joseph Nyumah Boakai of the governing Unity Party should have gone for runoff election on Tuesday, 7 November as earlier announced by the National Elections Commission, but the Supreme Court granted a prohibition sought by the Liberty Party of Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine, halting all political activities, pending full investigation into complaint of alleged fraud and irregularities filed to the Commission by the LP.
The CDC and the UP emerged as runners-up from the first round of poll conducted on 10 October in which none of the 20 presidential candidates who contested obtained 50 percent plus one of the total ballots cast or an absolute majority to get elected.
Weah encourages his partisans to be vigilant, noting that some people are wearing CDC T-shirts pretending to be partisans, but their real aim is to cause problem for others. He says if CDCians identified such people, they should immediately contact the police for intervention.
Following his brief chat with supporters and partisans, the national spokesman of the campaign team of the CDC, Professor Ansu Sonnie told a news conference at the CDC headquarters that while the party and its collaborating political parties respect the decision of the Supreme Court, the CDC calls on all stakeholders, including the National Elections Commission, to act timely in setting back on course the electoral process in order to get the presidential run-off election concluded, reflective of the wishes and aspirations of the Liberian people.
“We make this call in the interest of the country, and for the general good of the people. This is a matter of national urgency to avert unanticipated consequences that could attend our failure to do so,” he cautions.
According to him, the CDC and its collaborating political parties will accept nothing less than a timely return to these democratic electoral processes.
“We believe that if the run-off election is not held to permit transition of power as required by the Liberian Constitution, the attending situation could ultimately draw the nation into an unnecessary crisis. CDC and its partners maintain that the Liberian Constitution should not be compromised,” Professor Sonnie continues.
He says, “While we await the timely fulfillment of the mandate of the Supreme Court to the National Elections Commission, we call on our partisans, supporters and allies to remain peacefully engaged, law abiding, and ignore all provocations yet be vigilant as the victory of the CDC can only be delayed, but cannot be denied.”
According to him, the party remains committed to a smooth democratic constitutional transition, and that any attempt to hijack the process through political artifice, scheming and filibustering, will be rejected in no uncertain terms.The professor also maintains that the CDC and its collaborating partners will not countenance any extra- constitutional, undemocratic governance arrangement after the expiration of the Unity Party administration.
He calls on the African Union, ECOWAS, the United Nations and the rest of international community to take note of the unfolding developments relating to the current electoral process, and do all to ensure that Liberia’s fledgling multiparty democracy is reinforced.
By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor -Editing by Jonathan Browne
