Liberia Government (Monrovia)
28 November 2008
Vice President Joseph N. Boakai says he is impressed with the level of political consciousness that has taken root in Liberia.
He observed that it is healthier for citizens to speak out for their rights than to wait for things to get out of hand before acting, noting, "Prevention is better than cure".
Vice President Boakai made the commendation Thursday evening when representatives of the Consortium of National Stakeholders in the Liberian democratic process held discussions with him on the passage of the Threshold bill and other election-related bills.
The bill seeks to establish the population each constituency should have in the wake of the increase in population as shown by the first post-war census conducted earlier this year.
"I can't stop admiring that Liberians are now not only getting conscious of their political rights, but now desire a country in which they can individually show progress, help to bring up their children and get the benefit of their country, which all of us have wished for over the years," Vice President Boakai said.
The Liberian Vice President noted that the country needs a lot of reform which should be put forward for legislative enactment.
Earlier, in his presentation, the Secretary General of the National Patriotic Party, Mr. John F. Whitfield, Jr., called on the National Legislature to convene an emergency session to pass the threshold bill and other election related bills.
Mr. Whitfield observed that these bills should have been passed by now, saying any further delay could prove counter-productive for the 2011 elections. He said the consortium which comprises political parties and civil society groups felt betrayed and disappointed that these bills have not been passed.
"What we are concerned about is that if the passage of these bills is delayed further, no election might take place as , and this could engender political altercation,' he noted, emphasizing, "political parties and civil society see that the delay could have desperate impact on the political process".
In his presentation, the representative of NAYMOTE-PADD, A. Benjamin T. Towaye, Sr., said it was a shame that other African countries that Liberia helped to nurture as the first independent nation in Africa, are now far ahead of Liberia.
Other members of the Consortium were Madam Agnes Effiong, member, Disabled Community, Christian W. Cummings, member, Women NGO Secretariat, Mr. Horace P. Nagbe, Vice President of the Liberia National Students Union (LINSU) and Mattie Amanda Peters also of LINSU.
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