Amidst concerns that the planned December 30, 2019 protest has a motive of demanding President George Manneh Weah to step down, River Gee County Sen. Conmany B. Wesseh says calling for the president to step down is not unconstitutional, but using cutlasses and guns for that purpose is unconstitutional.
“To say so is not in violation of the Constitution. It’s a freedom of speech. What is wrong, what is wrong if this group of people then decide that when they say they want the president to go, they organize ways to obstruct the president’s performing that duty. That is where the problem [will be],” Sen. Wesseh says.
The River Gee County lawmaker’s comment comes in the wake a mass protest being planned by the Council of Patriots (COP), the same group the staged the June 7, 2019 protest.
Concerns have been raised here that the group is seeking to demand President Weah to leave, but the COP has denied this, claiming that it wants the regime to address demands made earlier this year.
However, in his live discussion on a local broadcaster Tuesday, 17 December, Sen. Wesseh said everybody in their frustration can say anything.
He notes that people have the right to say they don’t like the way their country is being governed and those running this place today should go and sit down.
“But if you decide that I, you don’t like what I am doing so you get up and take people with cutlasses with guns and stuff and go to my house and say you want to get me out, or go to my office, that’s a totally different thing. That is not provided for in the Constitution,” Sen. Wesseh argues.
According to him, the fact that people have expressed their frustration by asking their leaders to leave does not mean that the leaders are getting out automatically.
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“I think that a group of Liberians saying they want to have a demonstration and they want to express their protest and say they don’t like the president, they don’t like this person and that person, I think it’s well and good,” he continues.
“Nothing wrong with calling,” Sen. Weseh, adds, insisting that it does not amount to treason to ask the president to step down.
He stresses further that when you have a bad driver and your car is bumping into things, you can change the driver and there is nothing wrong with it.
Touching on why the here people might be angry, Sen. Wesseh continues that if you don’t have money, the way you carry yourselves it shows, noting that something is wrong if you are travelling and the bill is so high.
“There are some actions you take the public must see that you are making a sacrifice. You must be seen to be making sacrifice. You cannot be seen not to care,” Sen. Wesseh cautions.
By Winston W. Parley
