For more than a month, senate hopefuls in the Montserrado County By-Election have been flooding the minds, consciences, and passions of voters with political rhetoric - political gimmicks actually.

They, without saying in precise terms where they stood on key issues of national significance, had been promising relief, opportunities, and growth - some with reckless abandon, others with exaggerated sincerity and misplaced passion.

Now they have come before the nation in a formal debate - thanks to the foresight of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) - to, as Liberians often say, "show their juices", on record. "So where do they stand on issues of national significance?" is the question many are asking.

The Analyst brings you a précis of their respective presentations and responses and observers' pick.

The ten contenders in the Montserrado County Senate By-Election have told the formal debate organized by PUL that they will help reform governance, fight corruption, and help the Sirleaf Administration rebuild Liberia's shattered economy and infrastructures.

None of the ten however distinguished him- or herself from the pack by delving into the specifics and extent of engagement on such other issues as reconciliation, the final report of the TRC, and the nation's poverty reduction strategy (PRS) agenda, and the contract and information bills pending before the National Legislature.

Each, in response to a specific question about where they stand on the code of conduct bill that has been pending before the House, however indicated their preparedness to work with other House proponents for the speedy passage of the bill.

The contenders who participated in weekend debate at the Monrovia City Hall, which was watched live by hundreds of potential voters, were Clemenceau Urey of the ruling Unity Party; Darius Dillon of the Liberty Party; Geraldine Doe-Sheriff of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC); Prof. Wilson Tarpeh of the Alliance For Peace and Democracy (APD); and Rev. Jasper Ndabolloh of the Free Democratic Party of Liberia.

Others: Jackie Caphart, Prof. Alhaji G.V. Kromah Nathaniel Toe, Grace Kpan, and Daniel Johnson. Even though the candidates were unanimous in indicting corruption as being responsible for the backwardness of the Liberian society and the poor performance of the economy, none said exactly what constituted corruption. Observers say such clarification would have thrown light on a single candidate's view of how corruption would be fought and minimized or even eradicated.

"Had this been done by one or two candidates, they would have come out the 'lead candidates' thereby giving voters a clear choice and observers the early indication of what the outcome of the by-election will be. But none; and election is only a week away from today," says one observer. One of the aspirants, though, described corruption as a cancer that needs to be treated with harsh medicine but without saying what that "medicine" is.

The skew response prompted shrewd political observers to wonder whether the silent rule of the game amongst the candidates was to be deliberately euphemistic and superficial on issues that concerned the way forward for a nation bogged down by numerous challenges - key amongst them being governance, economic, and legal reforms - and that is in search of sincere, experienced, reform-minded leaders.

By failing to be emphatic and distinct on where they stood on major issues in the country and simply being contended with joining the candidates' chorus, observers say, many contenders, some of whom have had no opportunity to address a formal occasion about the future of Liberia and what role they would play, actually wasted the opportunity provided by PUL for them to do so.

"It is only by stating specifically what a problem is, analyzing its components, and providing a tentative framework for solution that a candidate distinguishes him- or herself from others. If everyone agreed that corruption is bad and vow to fight it, how does the voter decide who is sincere and capable?" wonders another observer. He said it may be argued that the candidate's background will give hints about his or her capability but that such argument could not hold water for many reasons.

"If one is a good gardener, it does not follow that that person will be a good policy initiator or policy manager for a larger agriculture pilot project covering several communities and residents of various backgrounds, interests, and experiences.

Similarly, a community developer or advocate for many years (and there is none amongst the candidates) does not automatically make a level-headed legislator upon whom a constituency caught in the heat of underdevelopment can rely," he noted further.

While the debate about the debate of the way forward for Liberia vis-à-vis the right candidate to fill the vacant Montserrado County Senate seat seethes, each of the ten contenders seems contented with his or her performance so far and is even beating his or her chests about being the right choice - God and time being the ultimate judges.

Some of them bragged that all of their activities were directed toward working for change, change in the livelihood of suffering masses. On policy, the aspirants also noted there was will-power to implement policies that are on the books. According to them, there are good policies on the book, but no one is willing to muster the courage to implement.

See précis of aspirants' views:

Response to first question and introduction:

Aspirant Grace T. McGill Kpaan

My name is Grace T McGill Kpaan. I am married to Pastor Rev. S. Oliver Kpaan, Jr. and I have been married for seventeen unbroken years. I have two biological children and two foster children. I live in Logan Town, Bushrod Island. I am the present President of the Dock Workers Union of Liberia, President of the IPF International Council Workers Federation with held office in London, President of the Female Pro-Anchors Soccer and Treasurer of the Women Committee of the Liberia Labor Congress. Focusing on the issue of change, the first thing that comes to mind is change for what. It got to be changes from good to better, or changes from better to best and change comes in many forms. First of all, you need to know that change comes basically because person himself or herself has to be a changed person. Only changed people can bring change. We also need to define the line between character and charisma. Many times, people who bring change may have character but not charisma and bring change for the better. We are in the twenty-first century, we can see in change in even technology. So it is important as we come to our own platform, we can tell you what we have done. We will be able, under our leadership to bring change. When I became the president of the Dock Workers Union in 2005, I was able to bring change from the labor prospective, taking my workers salary from 450 to US250. This is what they make currently, change from the death benefit of L$5,000 to US$6,000, change from the bonus of US10 to US$200; change from no medical benefit to medical benefit. And I say change is on the way.

Rev. Jasper S. Fallah Ndabolloh

My name is Rev. Jasper S. Fallah Ndabolloh. I hailed from Lofa County. I live my life in Monrovia, Montserrado County. I did all my studies here and in the United States of America. I am married to Elizabeth Ndabolloh for the past twenty six years. I hold a Bachelor Degree in Theology from the Baptist Theological Seminary in Paynesville. I also hold Master Degree in Peace Studies from the Associated Mennonite Seminary in Bedfast, Indiana, USA. I am a 1982 graduate of that institution. And if you want to know what year I graduated from the Seminary that was in 1980. As a pastor, I have been in the teaching field as well as speaking. I also work in political cycle in the mainstream of the Capitol Building where I served as administrator and chaplain for that beautiful body. I contributed immensely in the crafting of some policies that could have become a hindrance to this nation, and at the same time, I was also an advocate of peace and justice as the war was going on. When no politician could speak at the time, I took upon myself to voice out for the voiceless and to support peace, not war. Through the contribution I made, I thank God that today we have peace. Here we talk about peace, and I know peace begins with an individual. We have to think about ourselves, changing our minds and attitudes as we are been hearing in the past by Bropleh. The world view of change is very rocky. We see it happening in every sector of life. We see it in the economy, development, technology, science, religion and whatever you think about. I believe we must begin the process of change, Liberians must be more nationalistic than individualistic. I want to say thank you and may God bless you.

Prof. Wilson Tarpeh

My name is Wilson K. Tarpeh, raised in West Point and New Kru Town. I am currently the Vice President of Finance at the University of Liberia. I am married to Korlu Tarpeh. We have six children. I have a Master Degree in Accounting from the University of New Havens, Connecticut, USA, a MBA in Finance from the University of Pennsylvania, USA. I am also a product of the School of Management at the Massachusetts School of Technology. I worked as president of the Agriculture Bank, where I have the opportunity of changing one of the smallest not-known institutions to one of the best known financial institutions in the country. I went to the African Development Bank as Executive Director representing the constituency comprising Liberia, Ghana, Sierra Leone and The Gambia. I held that position credibly for three years. Prior to my coming home, I went to Mozambique to work. In 1994, I served as Minister of Finance of this republic. I teach currently also at the University of Liberia. My view of change is that whatever change that has to be made, must be people-participatory and people-centered. And it should seek to bring the interest of the people in one place; a change that must be made so that the lives of people will improve so that society can continue to grow and develop in the interest of the people. I also believe that change may not necessarily be done out of the dark. You must involve neighborhood where we live and believe that what we intend to change will certainly be changed. Now, for the change to be effective, change should be orderly that could be the priority; but for certain changes they require radical decision and to the extent that this is necessary, fear should not grab you to make a change. That is why we make our platform which is education though the way our children go to school, to improve the economy, create jobs, look at agriculture, revamp the agriculture sector to change the way to make the lives of our people better. Thank You

Aspirant Nathaniel Toe

For more than one hundred years, Liberians have been yearning for change; change for the betterment of the people of West Point; change for the betterment of the people of New Kru Town; and change for the betterment of the people of Paynesville. I have come as an inspiration; I have come in the time of our history when the Senate is very dormant; I have come at the time in history when we need to reinforce the Senate oversight responsibility. The Senate has been very dormant as it relates to its oversight responsibility. I think we need a change from the state of dormancy to the state of pragmatism. Change has come at the time when the laws have been violated; Change must come at the point in time when the laws have been violated. On the book, the law says Liberia is secular state, but we have not been able to implement the secular aspect of the law. Change must come. We must change our attitudes. On the book, the law says education must carry 25% of our national budget. Every time we prepare the budget, we violate the law. We must change our attitude. For more than one hundred years, inducement has been the core of budget; we must bring an end to this inducement because it has been impeding the progress of our country. We must change our attitude. For more than one hundred years, we have not been able to provide greater opportunity for vast majority of the Liberian people. We need to change our attitudes. Gone are those days when the people transfer people resources to the United States to build palaces. We must change our attitude because until we change our attitude, this society will never be emancipated from the dungeon of social and political indifferences. Nathaniel Toe, Jr. is a graduate of the United Methodist University who was instrumental in organizing a conference that led to the opening of the William V.S. Tubman College of Technology that is now a University. Nathaniel F. Toe, Jr. was the one who led an eighteen-man delegation to the Executive Mansion when the president placed a moratorium on rubber. He was the one who told the president of Liberia that the moratorium was affecting the lives of the people and the government of Liberia needed to lift the moratorium. Thank God that the moratorium has been lifted. Change is now. The future is yours with the face of Nathaniel Toe, you will vote for yourself. What we need is change, a change from one generation that has dominated for more than one hundred years.

Aspirant Clemenceau Urey

Thank you very much, I will like to thank the organizers of this program for this opportunity to appear before you all and speak my mind on what I intend to do as senator. My name is Clemenceau Blayon Urey. I am from Carreysburg, Montserrado County. My mother is from Maryland County from a village called "Batteh." I am married with three children. I work within the state; I am the owner of the Atlantic Life and General Insurance Company. For me, change really means bettering the lives of our people both in the social rank and in the economic rank. Now, there are institutions that create and manage change. Those institutions make policy, they make legislation, they establish programs and for those institutions to do that, they themselves must be able, to meet the challenge of change, must become agents of change. And one of those institutions is the National Legislature. For me, I see these By-elections as an attempt to make some major changes in the legislature, to put people in the legislature who are prepared, who have sound education, who have good training, who have the requisite experience and strong economic base, people who are prepared for the challenges to respond to the need of our people. People who are prepared to put the nation first; people who are reliable; people who are prepared to do what they say. I hope that this election will be the one in which you will not vote for party symbols, but vote for people who you believe have the ability to change our country. And base on that, when check our ability, Clemenceau Urey will come first. Thank you.

Next Question: What are your plans to influence the policy environment to ensure the reduction of political and development challenges?

Aspirant Clemenceau Urey

Well, as a member in the National Legislature, you make policies; you make legislations to support those policies and from that, you capture programs and make changes. So in the legislature, especially in the Senate, you will have all of these issues relating to political change, social change, and economic change that affect the lives of people appearing before you and you have to have the ability to make the proper analysis of these legislations so that the interest of the country is paramount and on that basis, you go and make those legislations. In the Senate, there are three things that are done there: is lawmaking is representation and is policy oversight and I intend to do that. Thank you.

Aspirant Nathaniel Toe

My commitment is to ensure the senate oversight responsibility. For example, I take you to the Agriculture Sector where the fishing industry is very dormant. And when provide oversight, what the Ministry of Agriculture should be doing is to go down to West Point, to Clara Town, to New Kru Town encouraging people that have been using canoes over the years, establish cooperatives where Government will serve as a guarantor in providing power boat for them. Nathaniel Toe as a legislator will ensure that the Minister of Agriculture performs her statutory responsibility. If you went to the Ministry of Health, you have come to realize that the ministry of health and social welfare is being reduced to ministry of health. What happened to the social aspect that you have lots of crazy people in the streets; what happened to the social component that you have lot of people sleeping under market stalls; what happened to the social component that you have lot of elderly people begging around streets corners? As Senator, I am going to ensure that the ministry of health and social welfare performs her social responsibility. We have to defend our constitution as it relates to oversight.

Aspirant Prof. Wilson Tarpeh

Thank you. Policy is a device that holds an end. First, you must identify the objectives that you want to achieve. When you shall have identified the objectives, you put in the policy framework to work out that objective. For instance, we are talking about the creation of jobs, we are talking about the ability of the economy to work, yet we are unsatisfied with the current trend of the domestic economy which has not been able to create jobs, then you must change the policy dynamic that we have. If we are to create jobs, then we must look at the face of the monetary tool that we use effectively to create jobs. Thank you.

Rev. Jasper S. Fallah Ndabolloh

Liberia is part of the environmental control system of the world, and I believe that Liberia is faced with a lot of problems. As I said from the beginning, our concept of ourselves and our nation is what we have to change. We have to develop policies that will affect the lives of the people. And this is what I have been involved with over time and I hope to do when I am elected Senator.

Aspirant Daniel Johnson

We have to create policy that helps reduce poverty, that every district in this nation has a technical assistant center called the "Empowerment Zone." Therefore it becomes critical to ensure that the element of delivering technical assistant to our country becomes equitable. There are good laws on the book, there are good programs all around but we do not have a national community based delivery system that will ensure as a guarantee for policy enhancement.

Aspirant Geraldine-Doe Sheriff

Policy: There are two things. You take action or you do not take action. And I believe that the policies that we have here are good; they are on the books, but nothing has been done about them. That is the reason why it affects our economy; it affects the minimal wage; it affects education and it affects social vices and it affects the health sector. Therefore, we need people to go to the house who will make sure that policies that will be passed in the house will be implemented to the fullest. That is the only way you can enhance the educational sector, you can enhance productivity, and you make sure that both the public and private sector benefit from whatever policy that this government is going to introduce.

Aspirant Darus Dillon

I maintain that the problem that we have in this country is not the lack of people-driven policies and laws. The problem we have in this country is the lack of will-power and strong determination to see these people-driven policies and laws implemented. It is because of our lack of will to implement these laws, that is why we a dossier of laws sitting down somewhere in some corners not being implemented. And based on practical experience in legislative procedures and policies, our determination and principle, we want to assured the Liberian people that this people-driven policy will be implemented.

Aspirant Grace Kpaan

Talking about policy, I believe in education, healthcare and security. Our role in the house will be that when the budget is being presented by the Health Minister, Education Minister as well as the National Security Director, I will tell you, we should not teach it. I think it is because we try to cut down these things that we cannot feel it in the economy, we cannot feel the education all over Monrovia, let alone security and healthcare. Any time, these budgets are put forth before the House, it is like it is too much and when it is too much, and you cannot hold this to the whole.

Another Question: What will be your stand on Corruption?

Aspirant Prof. Alhaji G.V. Kromah

He came late so he was denied the opportunity of responding to the question of change which other aspirants delved into. On the question that has to do with corruption, here is his response: I think the issue of corruption, as any other problem, has to with what the leadership in every institution in our society can take as an example. Presently, think about Alhaji Kromah for thirty to forty years has not been connected with any acts of corruption. If any has that kind of problem, certainly they will be in the position to be sensitive to anything that looks like corruption and all of our policies as leaders, are based on the values that we have, how we grew up, the kind of respect we have for labor, how you grew up in your home; what kind of associates you have growing up; what kind of commitment you brought to the organization you are a part of. So, I think that the Code of Conduct that should have been passed in the legislature will be one of my preoccupations; we have to do that very effectively so that transparency can be very clear. We have to be very courageous in the Senate to be able to identify anything in the Executive and the Legislature and Judicial branches.

Rev. Jasper S. Fallah Ndabolloh

I want to suggest that corruption is a cancer. I think we can begin to understand these things from the concept of what we want to be and how difficult it is difficult to be. But we have a people; I believe we have a task to perform. Senators are people who are responsible to make policies but will have to go against corruption. One way I think we can do this is to encourage fairness, transparency, and make the society a viable one. I believe that corruption in this country has been so bad that it requires a firm treatment. And I believe that if we treat corruption with seriousness, corruption will be minimized.

Aspirant Prof. Wilson Tarpeh

Corruption eats away the fabrics of the society and retards development, and with that, it must be eradicated not minimized. It is wrong and it must be eradicated. In the Senate, I will ensure that those using resources that belong to the people anyone who uses those resources wrongly will be prosecuted. Corruption is not only taking money. It is when you interview people and when the ranked in the area of priority and you give the first person the fourth position. Corruption is also when you have a system; you have two groups doing the same job, one is paid a different currency while the other is paid in another currency. Corruption first came to Liberia in the 1870. It was introduced by a British lobbyist when Liberia decided to secure loan. The second time corruption showed a face in Liberia was in 1927 when Liberians were taken to Fernado Pole. Today, at the National Legislature, it is very huge now a day. Every thousand dollars that enter the legislature, they no longer discuss the issue that affect the lives of the Liberian people interest, the issue of the constitution. They discuss the issue of personal aggrandizement against the general will of the Liberian people, against the interest of the very PRS. Because of corruption, people are living in slums.

Aspirant Clemenceau Urey

For me, there are two major cancers which can destroy any society; the issue of ethnicity and the issue of corruption because corruption takes away vital resources that are needed for national development. I think it is incumbent on all people in public offices to begin to work, in their areas of work even in their social organization to make sure that corruption is eradicated. It is not proper for the national legislature to be calling for audit for other branches of government when it is not prepared to submit to audit. You cannot say do what I want you to do and don't do what you see me do. If you want to fight corruption yourself must be able to show that you are not corrupt.

Aspirant Grace Kpaan

For me, the first thing will be robust dismissal and confiscate their properties and forward them for prosecution and if found guilty, they should not give them any more. I will also look at it at labor point of view, corruption is also making someone to work from morning till night and give them one salary, when your labor laws and constitution say equal work equal pay, corruption is also misusing people's strengthen and power and not paying them right salary, it is also taking brown envelope, riding US$150,000 well built pickup while our citizens cannot find car back home from work.

Aspirant Daniel Johnson

There are several forms I think can be utilized in fighting corruption, first at the legislative level there be lobbying in the passage of the code of conduct act, two; there is a need to provide opportunity to have technical assistance with budgetary support which in my view, will create opportunity to built their capacity so as enable them face challenges of human survival. Capacity is very critical, one who don't have place to stay and you throw them into kind of position what become of them, where they access to nation's resources the only thing will to steal the Liberians people's money. It is also for us to note here, that taking money to buy voters' registration card is corruption.

Aspirant Geraldine Doe Sherif

Corruption is not a debatable issue, corruption is visible everywhere and is not debatable, the government has admitted that it is frustrated over the issue corruption, but mine you, people where brought from aboard to become minister who are corrupt and are rotated from one office to another. If you notice, corruption is everywhere, if you can notice for yourself there are more employees in the private sector than public sector, and there is an increment in the public sector salary than private and nobody talks about it which is also corruption. Company corruption will only be eradicated when people are at the political will and make that they all have equal rights and transparency in dealing with the Liberian people.

Aspirant Darius Dillon

I'm Abraham Darius Dillon, senator in waiting for this new generation, all of my candidate colleagues around this table have beautiful vision in the fight against corruption, but none of them have proven records as compare to me, I have been sent to jail for speaking against corruption. I cannot just strummer in fighting corruption and is with this commitment I am taking to the senate to represent our people.

Aspirant Jacqueline Caphart

I believe corruption should not go with impunity. If we find out that someone is corrupt, we should dismiss them. Secondly, if our people are paid genuinely, I'm talking about from janitor to the police and soldier, people are paid well, and we won't have corruption. We will join others to see the passage of the Code of Conduct Act to cut short the corrupt officials.