Buchanan — Grand Bassa County Senator, Nyonblee Karngar-Lawrence, Sunday said it would have a "trap" had she accepted to go as running mate to Alexander Cummings of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP).
Karngar-Lawrence's Liberty Party has been embroiled in a series of legal and political issues, which lately culminated into the Supreme Court of Liberia
granting the application by Musa Bility, disputed chairman of Liberty Party, who had requested the nation's highest court to grant his request for the issuance of a Writ of Certiorari against the National Elections Commission (NEC) for the manner and form in which the electoral body was handling the dispute between Bility and others versus Nyonblee Karnga and Emmanuel Azango relating to the contest over the amended constitution of the Liberty Party.
Sen. Karnga-Lawrence said it would have been a deviation and a betrayal of the trust and confidence of partisans to go as running mate to Mr. Cummings in light of his unending support to Bility, whom she said desire is to render Liberty Party politically paralyzed and divided.
"As a matter of fact, Mr. Bility is recalcitrant that he does not recognize the authority of the political leadership of the Liberty Party, something that the ANC, through its actions and inactions, supported and concretized all along, thereby rendering his belated attempt to change course to have limited effect." she said.
What is even more disturbing and unconscionable, Karngar-Lawrence said, is the fact that the ANC folks are inclined to believe that the only way she could gain control of Liberty Party was to accept the running mate slot, and every other thing would have fallen into place.
According to her, to have accepted such an offer would have demonstrated sheer greed for power on her part, and this would have been a less honorable path to tread.
"In essence, to form a presidential ticket with individuals who conspired with a compromised system to rob us of deserved justice, would only be interpreted as approving the same system that we are endeavoring to change," she said.
"Even more, it would be a demonstration of desperation for political power. We could never and will never fall in such trap."
Karngar-Lawrence spoke Sunday when she endorsed the presidential bid of Unity Party's standard bearer, Joseph Boakai.
Why Boakai?
Speaking furthered, she said, when she initially decided to team up with Ambassador Boakai to embark on a rescue mission a few years back, she did so against the background of his public service records, qualification, experience and his love for country.
She added that to have simply disengaged from this process on account of not being named as running mate would have spoken less of her honesty and commitment to contributing to the change that Liberia so deserves and finds in the character of Ambassador Boakai.
"Therefore, in consideration of the selfless agenda that we brought to the table when we embarked on the journey with this astute statesman and following two weeks of consultations with a broad spectrum of the membership of our party, stakeholders and sympathizers at home and abroad, I am pleased to announce that we wholeheartedly endorse the Boakai-Koung Ticket," she said.
"As we set the train in motion for the rescue mission, I call on all Liberians including our partisans and supporters across the length and breadth of Liberia and in the diaspora to join us to support this ticket. It is about the country and its future. Liberia stands to regain its lost image if we all work for the success of this ticket."
Standing against powerful people
Senator Karnga-Lawrence said she's aware of the consequences of her decision to support Boakai against the wishes of some "powerful " people in Liberia.
"By this decision, we know that we are standing against some of the powerful people of this country. But please bear with us, it's time to set a new agenda for our country. And we want to actively contribute in setting that new agenda. Let God be God and man be man.
Speaking to the conscious of women in Liberia, she said; "To the women of Liberia, I stand here as the chairperson of the women legislative caucus, the first female Senator of Grand Bassa County serving two terms, the only female in the Liberian Senate of 30 members for two years until I was joined by another woman, a female political leader, one of the champions of female participation.
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"I call on all the women of Liberia to join me in this effort not because the ticket is a perfect ticket as there is no perfection anywhere, but because the two individuals on the ticket - Amb. Joseph Boakai and Jeremiah Koung are two of the proudest sons gifted to our nation by two humble and struggling women; two of the proudest sons with a plan to THINK LIBERIA, LOVE LIBERIA, and BUILD LIBERIA.
"So, as mothers of the land, I call on you all to join me to embrace our children, our two fine sons, Joseph and Jeremiah, so that we can collectively rescue our country. And you know as well as I do, when we, the mothers, bless our children, God Almighty usually brings success to the family. Amb. Boakai and Senator Koung have asked me to be the Mother on the Rescue Team; and I, representing the women and girls on this rescue mission, wholeheartedly accept the offer."
