Parties search for running mates

Several political parties here are in search of running mates for the upcoming 2017 October Presidential and Legislative elections. This comes amidst speculated names within the local media linking individuals with parties’ standard bearer as suitable running mates.

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Ruling Unity Party standard bearer, Vice President Joseph N. Boakai and Liberty Party’s Charles Brumskine has been leading the lists of presidential candidates to whom several individuals have been linked as possible running mate.

But with information available to this paper indicates that the Alternative National Congress or ANC has also joined the search for its running mate a head of this year’s elections.

Reports say the Executive Committee of the party has begun considering few names amongst them Liberia’s former Ambassador to the US Mr. Jeremiah Sulunteh; former Foreign Affairs Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan; Nobel Laureate Laymah Gbowee and former Labour Minister Cllr. Taiwon Gongloe, among others.

This paper has been hinted that on the list of possible running mate being considered by the ANC, Bong native Amb. Sulunteh appears to be topping the discussion particularly given claims that he is being favored by ANC political leader Alexander Cummings.

Already, there are suggestions that Amb. Sulunteh is expected to pickup his membership with the ANC on 12 March, with the party rumored tobe preparing for an expected colorful event to mark the day.

Meanwhile, when the National Chairman of the party Mr. Orashall Gouldwas contacted over the weekend, he declined to comment on grounds thatthe ANC does not run its activities in the media.

Mr. Gould also hit back at people he calls detractors that are allegedly using the Code of Conduct to publicly harm the reputation of the party. The ANC Chairman argues that the opinion of the Supreme Court regarding the Code of Conduct does not affect his political leader Mr.Cummings.

While admitting that Mr. Cummings, a former Coca Cola Company Executive turned politician was appointed as board member at the Booker T. Washington Institute or BWI, Mr. Gould, however, insists that Mr.Cummings did not receive a dime for his service and therefore did not accrue any benefit from government.

He had earlier told a press conference in Monrovia that the ANC will not be deterred of the negative propaganda, noting that Mr. Cummings will be the next President following the October polls.

“We would like to formally clarify that Mr. Cummings’ candidacy for president is in no way impacted by the Code of Conduct Act of 2014 and the Selena Mappy-Polson Ruling”, Mr. Cummings said.

He claims that the opposition was attempting to distract and demoralize supporters of the ANC, claiming that they have resorted to their old tricks to swindle the public and to stop the rapid movement that will change the country.

But he remains confident that the Liberian people are not gullible and will not be so easily tricked into sustaining the status quo which the opposition holds so dearly.
By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor–Editing by Winston W. Parley