The National Civil Society Union of Liberia (Nacsul) condemns Liberian Journalists

This Exercise is our reactiontoCondemnation oftwo Liberian Journalists by the National Civil Society Union of Liberia (NACSUL) for what it called“negative propaganda against a Liberian Humanitarian”, Dr. Daniel Cassell(The Analyst Liberia, March 1, 2021).

JournalistsCharles Yates and Rufus Paul wrote in a Facebook posting that “Dr. Daniel Cassell is a fake humanitarian; that he (Dr. Cassell) iscitizen of the USA, loyal and patriotic to that country; and that he comes here, to Liberia, wanting to be president”.

The facts of this matter are that “humanitarian Dr. Daniel Cassell”, like other “politicians”, is Standard Bearer of a recently-organizedLiberian political party (People’s Liberation Party, PLP) whospent most of their adult, productive lives in the USA.Moreover, in terms ofcitizenship relationship, Dr. Daniel Cassell is a foreign national, being citizen of the USA, a foreign country.Therefore, seeking or wanting to be president of Liberia,as he does,is inviolation of Article 52 of the Liberian Constitution which “provides that no person shall be eligible to hold the office of President or Vice President unless that person:

a) “Is citizen of the Republic of Liberia; and c), resident in the Republic ten (10) years prior to his/her election . . .”.No amount of humanitarian activities can/and or may repeal/and or vacate this Law.

Although we recognize and appreciate theDr.Daniel Cassell Humanitarian Foundation’sintentions and reported activities so far, but Dr. Cassell’s very close association withpolitics,in fact, the founding, leadership as Flag Bearer of the LiberianPolitical Party(People’sLiberation Party, PLP) and seeking thepresidency of Liberiaraise several, serious troubling questions regarding political power, ethics and humanitarianism.

Our analysis for this exercise is informed by the English terms, “humanitarian and propaganda”,defined by theOxford English Dictionary and Thesaurus. According to the Dictionary, the terms:

1) Humanitarian is defined as a person, philanthropist who seeks to promote human welfare such as providing human needs – housing, education, healthcare, post conflict and disaster relief assistance, etc. – at no cost or price to recipient/beneficiaries andcompensation to the giver.The most important Humanitarian narrativeis love/personal desire to give and promotion, sometimes under extreme conditions of personal sacrifices; and

2) Propaganda, definedasan organized program of selected/selective information and publicity used to propagate or advance a doctrine (beliefs), usually ideas, byadvertising, promotion, disinformation, rumors and lies.

Meanwhile, modernPolitical Process in which Dr. Daniel Cassell is involved and engaged is likened to the free-market, for profit economic system characterized by, depends upon and utilizes the strategies of Producers (the political parties); Products (candidates for office); Prices (votes) and Consumers(the voters-citizens).

In the effort to achieve success, the Political Process employs these strategies for competitive price (votes) advertising andthe quality of their products (political candidates) to gain maximum consumers (voters-citizens).

Thus, the Political Processincludes the basic, critical ingredients of the free-market economic system, ingredients not included nor required for humanitarianism – cost, price (votes)and compensation (Political candidates).

Regarding the allegation of Propaganda, one must show andprove publication of rumors and lies. But the reports by Journalists Yates and Paul that Dr. Daniel Cassell is a loyal and patriotic citizen of a foreign country, the USA, and that he (Dr. Cassell) is founder-leader of a Liberian political party and wanting to be president of Liberia have been found to be true and factual, consistent with the journalists’ professional responsibilities.

Therefore, the allegations made against them (the Journalists) by National Civil Society Union of Liberia (NACSUL) is unfounded, but an apparent corrupt, political posting and posturing.

Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed in this articles are that of the author and do not represent those of the New Dawn newspaper or its parent company Searchlight Communications Inc.

Dr. Daniel Cassell