Defeated presidential candidate Dr. Clarence Moniba says he will not endorse any of the two rival presidential candidates going to the 14 November 2023 run-off.
Moniba lamented Tuesday, 7 November 2023 that the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and the opposition Unity Party (UP) which are headed to the run-off have been in control for the past 18 years.
“CDC and UP who were both in the runoffs in 2005, 2011, and 2017, have come to us again with promises and the message of change,” Moniba said in a statement issued in Monrovia.
Dr. Moniba who contested on the Liberia National Union (LINU) presidential ticket secured 5,298 of the total votes cast in the October presidential election or 0.29 percent.
For the run-off, he said it is not about him picking a side, but it is about the people of Liberia demanding that CDC or UP does a better job in leading this country than they had for the past 18 years.
“Therefore, as the people of Liberia did on Oct 10, we will again listen to the people of Liberia, and anyone that is chosen to lead Liberia, will be our President,” he said.
“Therefore, we will not be endorsing any particular party because of where we are as a nation. We are divided enough, people have already died because of these elections, properties have been destroyed and families have been broken,” he noted.
He stated that Liberia is still way behind the other countries that are way behind, and as all of this has been happening, the two parties that have been in control for the past 18 years have come to again with promises and the message of change.
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“But how can we truly say that we want to change Liberia, when we continue to vote the same two political parties?” he wondered.
Dr. Moniba stated that what he hopes and prays for in 2023 and going forward, is that Liberia, in the near future, becomes a great country.
“But in order to do so, we have to demand more from our leaders…it is not good enough to vote for someone because they are popular, or because it is their time,” he cautioned Liberians.
The LINU leader recalled that on 10 October 2023, the people of Liberia decided that at this moment in the country’s history, it was not his time to lead.
He said he accepts this fact, knowing that he has a lot of work to do over the next six years to earn the trust and support of the Liberian people.
“We are committed to this journey and can promise all listening, that we will work towards Liberia’s transformation,” Dr. Moniba assured Liberians.
Since the announcement of the results, he said he has consulted with both parties, where he laid out a set of preconditions for his support.
According to Dr. Moniba, the preconditions include the construction of the Salayea to Foya Road in Lofa, the Sanniquelle to Zwedru Road stretching from Nimba to Grand Gedeh, the completion of the Robertsports Road in Cape Mount, and the Buchannan, to RiverCess Road.
“We also asked that plans be made to build technical and vocational colleges in every county capital. Several other policies for which we ran on, were put forward,” he explained.
He detailed that the policies include the refurbishment of all government hospitals, beginning with JFK and Jackson F. Doe, as well as better training and salaries for our nurses and doctors.
“Discussions also centered on better support, in terms of salary, training, and equipment, for the security and judiciary as we fight corruption, crime, and drugs in the country,” Dr. Moniba continued.
