Monrovia — A National Executive Committee (NEC) member of the governing Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) has taken issues with outgoing United States Ambassador accredited near Monrovia Michael McCarthy for his recent comments exposing societal ills and challenges and the failure of the government to address it.
Lawmaker Gray is representing the people of district # 10 in Montserrado County in the 54th National Legislature.
In his recent statement, the U.S. Ambassador who recently concluded a three-week county tour stated that destitute citizens residing in the leeward counties of Liberia are being neglected by the government's elite officials.
He stated in the press statement: "On the trip, I was startled and deeply troubled to encounter multiple county hospitals that received not one penny of what they were promised in the 2022 budget. Hospitals on which lives depend, where outbreaks are prevented and suffering is alleviated, did not receive any portion of the US$100,000 or more appropriated by the legislature for them to operate.
"Lest you think this is the work of one political party, that notion was quickly dispelled by Liberians I talked to. The blocking of resources is so complete that it must be institutional: and the lack of any alarm being raised indicates a syndicate involving players at the legislature, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs."
But speaking when he appeared as guest on State Radio ELBC on Monday, May 1, Representative Gray claimed that Ambassador McCarthy outburst against the Weah led-government with just few months to the elections was "unprecedented."
According to him, the Ambassador failed to give justification for his latest strong worded statements released on the Liberian government when he spoke with the BBC shortly after he released the statement.
During an interview with BBC's Esau Williams, the Ambassador was pressed regarding the suspicion that his recent criticism could be interpreted as a vote of no confidence in the Weah-led administration, particularly with the upcoming October elections. But Amb. McCarthy maintained that corruption in Liberia dates 200 years back and it is not the making of any one political party or one administration.
"The problem of corruption in Liberia goes back 200 years. It is absolutely pervasive and there has to be a decision by the people of Liberia that corruption is not going to be our way of doing business anymore. Until they make that decision as a population, they will not be able to climb out of the rankings of world poverty that keep them down in the bottom 10," said the U.S. Ambassador.
When asked by the BBC about his use of strong language as a diplomat in Liberia, which may not be typical of other European countries, Ambassador McCarthy pointed out that Liberia has vibrant media and a strong historical connection with the United States. As a result, the United States feels a special responsibility towards Liberia, leading it to become the largest donor country to Liberia.
He said the Liberian government understands that his statement is part of the frank and open relationship the two countries share.
But Representative Gray said the outburst from Ambassador McCarthy makes him to appear like a "Governor" in Liberia, instead of an Ambassador and his interview with the BBC, was not centered around the historic relations between the two countries.
He claimed that report from the Ambassador that public hospitals did not receive their budgetary appropriations without any official documents to substantiate the claim was unacceptable.
"The United States Ambassador was not factual. He had no knowledge technically of what he was saying. The journalist asked him a question that as an Ambassador of a country, your statement was unprecedented because Ambassadors don't just speak like that.' But he said, 'we have a special tie.' The question was not on special tie."
"The Ambassador is not a Governor here; the Ambassador should understand that these are not the times of colonialism. America owes Liberia a lot then we owe them. We have made unprecedented sacrifices and we have always been the greatest ally of the US and he admitted to that. I think the Ambassador feels hurt that he is prematurely departing Liberia."
Representative Gray said the strong worded statement release by Ambassador McCarthy portrays him as a "succeeded President roaming the country from county to county."
He noted that all of the ills reported by Ambassador McCarthy, including bad road conditions in most parts of the country, have been existing prior to the inception of the Weah led-government.
He said these ills are being confronted gradually by the current administration.
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Representative Gray maintained that government is using tax payers' monies to ensure that these challenges are addressed in a timely manner.
He said the outgoing US Ambassador could have been declared "persona non grata", if his strong worded statement was issued against past governments of Liberia.
He made specific reference to a call for a former US Ambassador to Liberia to be declared "persona non grata" during the administration of ex-Liberian President Charles Ghankay Taylor.
Representative Gray attributed Ambassador McCarthy's outburst to the high level of freedom of speech and movement subsisting under the CDC-led government.
"Almost after every two hours, someone is shot in the great United States of America. And so for an Ambassador to defiantly, in a demeaning manner, and six months to elections to make such a sarcastic remark-for me, it's unacceptable. The Ambassador was out of order. This is my personal statement and I owe no apology to the Ambassador. The Ambassador must be called to order because his statements were not factual. We have to forgive him for the manufacture statements he provided," he said.
