The campaign launch of senatorial candidate Abraham Darious Dillon from the opposition bloc for the Montserrado County by-election took place over the weekend with the conspicuous absence of key opposition leaders except for businessman turned politician Benoni Urey of the All Liberian Party.
Mr. Dillion’s Liberty Party is a member of four opposition collaborating parties here, including the former Unity Party of Ex-Vice President Joseph Nyumah Boakai, Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine of the Liberty Party, Alternative National Congress of Alexander Cummings, and the ALP of Mr. Urey.
At Saturday’s (July 13) launch, the UP leader Ambassador Joseph Nyumah Boakai, and his former running mate Emmanuel Nuquay were both absent, so were Senator Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence and Cllr. Charles Brumskine of the LP, including the ANC leader, Alexander Cummings and his running mate, Ambassador Jeremiah Sulunteh, among others.
However, the ALP leader Mr. Urey was the only opposition leader present at the rally. Political commentators believe Urey’s presence was primarily intended to show support for his daughter, Ms. Telia Urey, who is vying for Montserrado County Electoral District #15 seat.
Mr. Darius Dillon launched his campaign, promising voters that he won’t disappoint them if they elected him to the senate.The vacancy in the Liberian Senate came about as a result of the late Senator Geraldine Doe-Sherif died in Accra, Ghana, after a protracted illness.
At his campaign rally held in the compound of the Unity Party, he further vows that if elected, he would work with other senators to reduce salary of lawmakers to US$5,000 as take-home pay.
At the moment, salary of lawmakers, including senators is not public here. Some projections put the figure at US$12,000, 15,000 or 17,000.
“Let me make a commitment to you; it is not only that I am going to fight not to fail you, but I will fight to change things to give hope to our people that all is not lost. We want to show the ruling party what is meant by ‘hope for change or change for hope’,” Dillon promises.
He throws an open challenge to President George Weah and the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) to withdraw the candidacy of Mr. Abu Kamara for the ruling party in District#15 to allow Ms Urey, the only female candidate for the district to sail thru.
The representative by-election in District#15 is intended to replace the late Representative Adolph Lawrence, who died in a car crash in March. By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor-Editing by Jonathan Browne
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