Kennedy Sandy speaks on withdrawal attempt
Presidential hopeful Rev. Kennedy Gbleyah Sandy of the Liberia Transformation Party (LTP) is apparently between a high place and a rock, as he speaks on his recent attempt to withdraw from the race for the Presidency thru a letter written to the National Elections Commission or NEC.
The NEC thru its Chairman, Cllr. Jerome Kokoryah denied the request on grounds that the period for such exercise had expired, and that ballot papers for the presidential candidates are already printed.
The idiom or Biblical phrase means a situation offering at least two possibilities, neither of which is acceptable. The Liberian clergy is still in the race not by choice, and he is yet to formally launch his campaign barely 11 days to polling day unlike most of his colleagues in the race.
Independent Presidential Candidate Senator Oscar Cooper questions his (Kennedy’s) sincerity to the Liberian people at the final “Docor Debate” for presidential candidates organized by the Liberia Media Development Initiative or LMDI in the Fendell Campus of the University of Liberia outside Monrovia over the weekend.
In response, Rev. Kennedy, who lost the 2011 presidential election despite a well financed campaign and subsequently accepted a job in the Sirleaf Administration, explains that he attempted to withdraw from the race because as then member of the Constitution Review Committee (CRC) he respected the Code of Conduct, which requires appointed public officials seeking elected posts to resign, adding that he quitted that institution to contest for the presidency, but the law has been relegated.
“I respected the law and resigned to run as President, but the law that I respected was compromised”, the LTP standard bearer argues.
The debate brough together six candidates, including the only female candidate in the presidential race Ms. MacDella B. Cooper of the Liberia Reformation Party (LRP). Others include Independent Candidate Rev. Yarkpajuwurm N. Mator, Rev. Kennedy Gbleyah Sandy of the Liberia Transformation Party (LTP) and Jeremiah Z. Weapoe of the Vision for Liberia Transformation (VOLT), respectively.
He vows to build factories across the country if elected, to create jobs and empower the private sector, particularly Liberian-owned businesses to produce “Made in Liberia” products.
“Tourism is being under utilized in Liberia and the economy shows vulnerability because everything is done in US Dollars and money is leaving the country without any system”, Rev. Kennedy laments at the debate. He is the first Liberian presidential candidate to go to an election without campaigning to seek votes from electorate.
By Jonathan Browne
