10 November 2009
Some say it was reminiscent of 2005; others say it was even bigger, mesmerizing, captivating, and novel. It sure was all these acting together to the glory of the Liberty Party and Liberia's new political dispensation. This was how electioneering observers saw what Liberty Party (LP) stalwarts dubbed as the victory parade rehearsal of Montserrado County's prime choice for senator, Darius Dillon, which was staged over the weekend.
"When Liberty Party partisans converged on ATS like a swarm of bees from three central points in Monrovia they took the city by storm," said Tony Blackman of Buzzie Quarters who said he was not an LP member. "But that single act makes me to join the Dillon rally. I will vote for him."
Led by their political leader, Charles Walker Brumskine, the partisans converged at the midtown sports stadium to mark the official closing of the senatorial campaign of Darius Dillon, its candidate for the Montserrado County senate seat left vacant by the death of Hannah Brent. Even before they mounted the stadium, Cllr. Brumskine and candidate Dillon worked the crowd to an enthusiastic welcome and chants of victory songs and slogans.
"It is often said these days that crowds go from one political party to the other because they are hungry people," said Mary Thomas who said she came from Bensonville earlier in the day to grace the occasion. Ms Thomas, who said she came to the rally along with hundreds of other LP partisans and sympathizers, insisted that judging from the enthusiasm of the thousands at the ATS, most of the crowd members were genuine partisans.
"Some were wearing white Dillon T-Shirts; others, the yellow Dillon for Senate/Liberty Party T-Shirts; and still others with no T-Shirts at all. But they were all happy--a jubilant crowd," she said.
She said they came in such droves because it was their responsibility to the party and the nation to support and encourage the partisans of other political parties and undecided voters to support individuals who have the capability of changing the chemistry of Liberian politics for the better.
"This is why we took time off our business schedules to come to Monrovia to demonstrate our commitment to democracy and partisan politics," added Jimmy Gou enthusiastically. Jimmy said he had to work several miles from his village to the main Kakata-Monrovia Highway before boarding a commercial vehicle bound for Monrovia.
"Since the 2005 elections, Liberty Party has, as an opposition political party, consistently taken an institutional approach to the myriad problems and challenges facing Liberia," said Gou who claimed to be a principal of a junior high school in his hometown, which he did not name.
He said whether it was budgetary misappropriation, executive overreaching, legislative oversight, or the unconstitutionality of government action, Liberty Party has been consistently in the vanguard of ensuring that government works for the ordinary Liberian.
"And today, that advocacy seems to be paying off," he said, brandishing a yellow Dillon T-Shirt, which he held in his hand. The Analyst reporter who witnessed the parade and formal closing activities said it took a while to calm the restive and enthusiastic crowd as speaker after speaker warmed the crowd for the main acts.
He said candidate Dillon, who mounted the podium to an exalting cheer, quickly spoke of his character, integrity and struggle in the Liberian environment before settling for more serious issues that included his enviable civil service record and the need for Liberia to be united, reconciled, and stable under the system of the rule of law.
Dillon boasted of the fact that although a Liberty Party candidate, his candidacy enjoys support from a broad spectrum of the Liberian society, cutting across party line. He ended his remarks by thanking all for their support - the Liberty Party, the friends of Dillon - complimenting his beautiful wife, paying homage to the political leader of his party, setting the stage for Charles Walker Brumskine to crystallize the issues in this election, as only he can, to the to the wild chant, "Dillon! Dillon! Dillon!"
LP Charles Walker Brumskine, addressing the victory parade and formal closing, said LP was making significantly notable strides in the political governance of Liberia as a number of government officials have joined the rank and files of the party.
He did not say whether or not the officials have crossed carpet from other parties, but he noted that LP partisans currently in government included Dr. Sam Ngaima, a senior policy advisor at the Ministry of Commerce, who had recently joined the Liberty, bringing along with him about four hundred new partisans.
Another, he said, were Sheik Mohamed S. Donzo, a renowned Islamic Cleric who recently joined LP and led a large number of Muslims to the campaign rally. Brumskine, who is born-again Christian and a lawyer, said the Liberty Party has created an all-inclusive political environment in which Liberians of all walks of life were feeling at home, making observers to see the growth of LP as the emergence of the largest party in the country.
He defended the academic credentials of Mr. Dillon, noting that along with those credentials, the candidate amassed a wealth of experience in both the Executive and Legislative branches of government.
"[If I] had to choose between a high school graduate with over fifteen years of experience in the service of his government and with an impeccable character and enviable record, and a Ph.D. white collar criminal, [I] would choose Dillon," Brumskine said to long round of applause.
He went on to warn the ruling Unity Party that they will have to swallow the voter cards that they were purchasing from destitute Liberians because they will not be allowed to use them for stuffing the ballot boxes. The time for campaigning ended yesterday, but judging by the way they presented their candidate and ran their campaign, Liberty Party said it stole the show fairly and squarely.
"If crowd turnout is a reliable prediction of campaign fortunes, then Darius Dillon is well on his way to victory in the 2009 Montserrado County by election," said one party executive.
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Wait a minute, are there only two opposition political parties (LP and CDC) speaking out in Liberia? OH my bad. We will hear them only during election.