The political leader of the All Liberian Party or ALP Businessman turned politician Benoni Urey has been talking. He says he doesn’t have to be president to give back to his country, but maintains that former Vice President Joseph Boakai is older, more experienced and well-qualified to lead the four parties against President George Weah in 2023.
Speaking at what he describes as his annual press conference on Wednesday February 19, Mr. Urey said he is prepared at this point in his life to do anything to help his people and that is why he had opted to run for the presidency-but he was quick to add that he doesn’t tie the condition of helping his compatriots to the Liberian presidency.He says there are other things people can do to help the country rather than just going for the presidency.
“I don’t have to be president,” Urey said as he gave an upbeat appraisal of developments within the Collaborating Political Parties or CPP to be known as the Alliance of Political Parties or APP.
Mr. Urey opined that unlike the past where political parties will come together to form a marriage and divorce few days to the election, the newly found love between his party, the Liberty Party (LP), former ruling Unity Party (UP) and the Alternative National Congress (ANC) has come to stay.
The admitted thought that there have been some differences but that they have manage to stay together united despite reports of competing interests.
Mr. Urey, who is the current Chairman of the CPP said the collaborating parties have reached a critical stage in their efforts to form this much trumpeted alliance which is the draft document or constitution that will spell out the guiding principles of the union.
“Everyone will be bound by this agreement,” he said during the press conference Wednesday.
Urey explained that the main objective of the four parties coming together initially was to institute political reforms as they lay aside their individual political ambitions.
Although Mr. Urey believe that former VP Boakai is more qualified to lead the CPP, he narrated that the parties have agreed that a congress will be held to elect the political leader of the party.
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To this end, Mr. Urey expressed his objection to the voters’ prospective survey which has been suggested to be used to elect a standard bearer of the CPP.
“I Benoni Urey will not accept anything less than going to the primaries,” he said.
“I will never subject myself to that,” he emphasized, adding such a survey could be used in another instance but it should not be used to take the rights of members of the collaborating parties in electing their political leaders.
He said most of his colleagues agreed with him on that and that issue has been resolved and that the parties have moved forward to conclude the draft framework.
Meanwhile, Mr. Urey was quick to add that he will accept whosoever is elected at the primaries to lead the CPP.
He revealed that the committee selected to put the framework together will be completing the CPP document soon and after which it will be given to the individual parties for their perusal.-By Othello B. Garblah
