The Political Leader of the Alternative National Congress (ANC), Mr. Alexander Cummings, returned home over the weekend after a successful visit to Italy, Germany, and the United States of America. Mr. Cummings, the leading opposition leader, is also the Presumptive Standard Bearer of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP).
Cummings also held discussions with the Liberian Diaspora in the three countries about prevailing economic and political conditions in Liberia and the need for their continuous engagements and involvement in Liberia.
In Italy where he attended an international retreat at the invitation of the Brenthurst Foundation, a pro-democracy, leadership, and research organization based in South Africa, the ANC Political Leader, along with former world leaders including, Presidents, Vice Presidents and Prime Ministers discussed the need for global peace.
Cummings used the opportunity to highlight and share Liberia's peace-keeping experiences and emphasized the need to ensure that the process of peacekeeping is inclusive of all gender. He emphasized that women and youths, are often the most vulnerable and usually the victims of armed conflicts worldwide.
He stressed the need to also ensure economic equality, strengthen the fight against public corruption, improve electoral processes, and provide equal access to justice, which he said are critical in maintaining world peace and stability.
From Italy, the ANC Political Leader visited Hannover, Germany where he participated in a major public forum with hundreds of Liberians who expressed concerns about prevailing conditions in Liberia, especially, persistent international reports of corruption, growing insecurities, rising crime rates, deteriorating social services and extreme poverty.
Cummings spoke of the dire and urgent need for genuine real change to alleviate the suffering of the vast majority, restore basic social services, and redeem the country's lost international image and dignity, by voting out President George Weah in the 2023 General and Presidential elections.
Liberian citizens in Germany expressed disappointment in the administration and inept leadership style of President Weah. They empathized with their fellow Liberians, pledging their support and commitment to the real change agenda of the Alternative National Congress. The Liberian Diaspora across Europe demonstrated their support by launching a special fundraising drive and urged Mr. Cummings to continue his efforts aimed at redeeming the country from the corrupt and inept management of President Weah and gang of officials and friends.
In the United States of America, the ANC Political Leader met and held talks with U.S officials as well as major key stakeholders, pleading with them not to give up on Liberia in the face of the worsening political and economic conditions.
Cummings stressed the need for continuous U.S support and assistance to the people of Liberia, especially during these difficult and challenging times.
While he acknowledged persistent U.S pronouncements about high-level corruption and the need for Weah's administration to serve the greater interest of the Liberian people and not a few, Mr. Cummings said more than ever before Liberia needs America in its dire quest for real change to lift the vast majority out of extreme poverty. "We cannot claim we are witnessing the best moments in the historic relationship between Liberia and the United States. As Liberia bleeds, so too, are our people suffering under the corruption, abuse of power and mismanagement of the country's resources," the ANC Political Leader said.
Cummings, said because of the Liberian people whose faith in the traditional friendship with the United States has never wavered, "now is not the time to abandon Liberia because of the failings of its leaders." Cummings shared his positions with American opinion leaders, during talks.
Responding, U.S. officials and leaders stressed the need for Real Change in Liberia, to eradicate corruption, the culture of impunity as well as the gross mismanagement of the country's vast resources. U.S officials, however, expressed hope for Liberia's future and
reassured Cummings that they will continue to monitor situations in Liberia with renewed interests and would encourage increased U.S attention to national development efforts in Liberia.
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Cummings two continents' tours and engagements focused on issues of global concerns and consultations with prominent past and current world leaders as well influential American think-tank groups on Liberia's future.
Participants at the serene Lake Como Global Leaders Retreat included the former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, Former Israeli Prime Minister and Head of the Middle East Peace Process, Ehud Barak and former Colombian Vice President, all of whom along with the ANC Political Leader, addressed the Retreat, as well as others including opposition leader, Bobby Wine of Uganda.
Rounding up his month-long tour, Cummings attended and participated in several fundraising events hosted by various chapters of ANC-Global, Chicago, Jacksonville, Florida and used each occasion to inspire Liberians who are growing increasingly frustrated by the failures of the Weah-led government to believe in the possibility for Real Change in Liberia under a Cummings Presidency.
