Weah undecided

Montserrado County Senior Senator George MannehWeah, appears uncertain whether he would contest for the Presidency in 2017, saying there are procedures in his Congress for Democratic Change or CDC party that he must first meet to qualify as standard bearer.

Addressing residents of Clara Town, Bushrod Island – a slum community where he was born, Weah said, though he is interested in vying for the nation’s highest seat, there are huge processes leading to being elected by the CDC to run on its ticket, and the party has made no decision on who to elect as standard bearer at its convention slated for early 2017.

“If you ask me as to whether I want to contest for the presidency, I will say yes. But there are processes in our party that I must follow in order to be elected during the party’s convention,” Senator Weah said.

According to him, seeking the presidency is a good thing, but those processes, which he did not spell out,should be met before winning the minds of the Liberian people for the elections. Speaking on his legislative works, Senator Weah said during the last sitting, 12 bills were passed by the Senate, 10 in committee room with 11 on hold. He also told the gathering that he used his voting right given him by the people of Montserrado County to vote in favor of key bills, including the Millennium Challenge Compact that will give Liberia over two hundred million United States dollars for development.

The Montserrado lawmaker, who chairs the Senate Committee on Youth and Sports said, he advocated for increment in budgetary allotment for the Ministry of Youth and Sports, but did not succeed.

According to him, he expressed disappointment over the passage of the 2015/2016 national budget in a communication to Senate President Pro-tempore ArmahJallah,and voted in favor of a decision to rescue the National Oil Company or NOCAL from financial crisis, among others.

During the meeting, he expressed thanks and appreciation to the Liberian people, especially residents of Montserrado for voting him overwhelmingly as Senator for the county. There have been debates in many quarters whether or not, Senator Weah would contestthe 2017 Presidential election as standard bearer or running mate in a possible coalition.

Both the CDC and the opposition Liberty Party have confirmed reports of ongoing discussions to form a coalition, but who becomes standard bearer or heads such collaboration remains unanswered.

The CDC had maintained that Weah will not contest as running mate to any candidate,boasting he remains the most popular political figure in Liberia.

Liberty Party political leader Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine is strongly supportive of the formation of an opposition bloc as no single party has been able in the past two elections to clearly obtain 50 percent plus one additional vote of the total ballots to take the Presidency as requires by the Constitution of Liberia.

The youth League of the CDC recently expressed satisfaction over the naming of a special committee to spearhead collaboration talk between the CDC and the Liberty party.

By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor-Edited by Jonathan Browne