By Winston W. Parley
A day after Liberia celebrated its 174th Independence Day, opposition Vision of Liberia Transformation Party (VOLT) political leader Dr. Jeremiah Z. Whapoe says, Liberia is not an independent nation because “you cannot be independent and depend on somebody else to take care of you.”
“One thing I see in Liberia is that people usually talk about Independence Day, and one thing I can tell you is that in the public I will tell you that Liberia is not an independent nation,” Dr. Whapoe said Tuesday, 27 July during the official launch of the Publication of the Framework Document of the Rainbow Alliance in Paynesville.
Dr. Whapoe argued further that you cannot be independent and someone else produces the food you eat in your house; the security of your home is contingent on somebody’s willingness to provide it and your health care is being transported to another country.
“You cannot be independent when even jobs … that your citizens supposed to do, employment that your citizens supposed to have, you cannot have it, you have to import other foreigners to come and provide services for you. If that is your definition of independence, I am not part of it,” Dr. Whapoe continued.
The VOLT political leader stated that when you are independent, you should be able to shoulder responsibilities on your own because having a free association does not necessarily mean that you are independent.
He described Liberia as a diamond with so many corners that are yet to be discovered and polished, vowing that the Rainbow Alliance will ensure that this diamond is discovered, polished, and shine among the comity of nations.
Speaking about the official launch of the publication of the Framework Document of Rainbow Alliance, Dr. Whapoe deemed it an honor to be part of a process of unity that disengages self-interest but puts Liberia first.
“It is an honor to be part of the process that asks itself what’s in it for Liberia? And anybody [who] has ever told you that Liberia or Liberians will never be unified politically, go and tell them, they are telling you a falsehood,” Dr. Whapoe said.
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He considers the Rainbow Alliance’s arrangement as the foundation on which the biggest and the highest political groupings in the nation have been produced for the first time here.
Whapoe suggested that this alone should tell people that the hope of Liberians is alive because the Rainbow Alliance and any other political groupings in the country are those groups that he thinks Liberians depend on, hoping and looking forward to delivering the change they have always longed for.
Rainbow Alliance Interim Chairman and True Whig Party (TWP) Chairman Mr. Reginald B. Goodridge, Sr., who received the framework document said today (Tuesday, July 27), the alliance is on the pedestal into the future which is not too distant.
Mr. Goodridge said the framework document is only a pedestal to something that is very dramatic, explaining that the document has three – folds.
He said the document talks about the [Constitution] with respect to how the Rainbow Alliance will compose itself; the by-laws which deal with the functions and legality, financial contributions; and the code of conduct which deals with how members of the alliance comport themselves.
Goodridge indicated that as a government – in – waiting, the alliance firmly believes that it must show a good example of discipline, proper decorum, and deportment and also set the stage for governance.
In the framework document, Mr. Goodridge revealed that there are 19 standing committees which include standing committees on Foreign Affairs, Public Works, Forestry, Information, and every structure that is in the government.
He said the whole idea here was that the Rainbow Alliance would form committees to shadow the government so that whoever is chairman for the standing committee on Foreign Affairs, for instance, will be able to advise the alliance on how it can do it the right way.
He said the committee chair will be able to do the analysis, the research, and the proper study to see where Liberia is lagging in its foreign relations and advise the Rainbow Alliance.
Presenting the framework document, Cllr. Emmanuel Tulay, Victory for Change Party chairman said he is pleased to present the instrument to the plenary of the Rainbow Alliance through its acting chairman Mr. Goodridge, adding that it contains the Constitution, By – laws and Code of Conduct of the alliance.
Cllr. Tulay said the alliance is pleased to publish the document for the consumption, analysis, and critique of the Liberian people for whom the parties have come together to ensure they have oneness in political activities.
