.... Liberians need no one to tell them about the consequences of election violence. We are still feeling and seeing the very negative results of a war to revenge or correct an election fraud that escalated to a crisis the like of which Liberians had never experienced, it lasted for fourteen (14) nerve-wracking years.
Dear Fellow Citizens:
Greetings! Please allow me to add my voice to the several voices of advice against election-related violence as we campaign and cast our votes to elect the persons of our choice to be our leaders in the ensuing general and presidential elections.
I advise in the following manner:
Advice #1: Remember that Liberia is a democracy. It means the people of Liberia have the right to choose their leaders. No one should use force or fraudulent means to win because to win by use of force or fraud and not by the will of the people will be undemocratic - you the fraudulent winner will not be a leader of the "government of the people, by the people and for the people." Therefore, there will be no peace.
Advice #2: As we plan our campaign strategies and go out on the campaign trails, we must avoid using words or expressions that provoke, belittle, or incite others (opponents) to react in like manner or worse, which exchanges might lead to violence. Everyone who enters a race has the hope of winning.
In a democracy, no one who enters a race has the right to sabotage, by use of force other candidates' chances to canvas for votes. To behave in that manner will be an unfair way to win. In a democratic election, there are rules, paramount among which is that, the process must be free and fair and I will add peaceful. The process will not be free, fair, and peaceful if winning is obtained through the end justifying the means. The means must justify the end. Follow the rules to victory not trampling on the rules to gain victory.
Advice #3: Fellow Liberians, I am begging you on behalf of all the Liberian patriots who died, those who languished in post-stockade, those who were whipped and tortured for their opposing views, those who dared do or say the things that some of us are freely saying and doing today; do for their honor and in appreciation for their sacrifices to change the one-party system and prevent any actions that will be in violation or abuse of the multiple party system. Use the system for the benefit of Liberia and Liberians.
Advice #4: Young and innocent/ naïve men and women, remember that you (if you live long enough and are prepared) will find yourselves in leadership positions tomorrow. Always keep that in mind. Do not destroy your future now by allowing some politician today to use you to destroy Liberia, your only homeland, for the politician's greed for power.
If some politician thinks throwing stones at his opponent's supporters to prevent them from casting their votes, is his winning strategy, let that politician and his family members and friends, who will enjoy more than you when he or she wins, let them be the ones out there throwing stones.
But they must beware that they have no monopoly on throwing stones. When they start throwing stones, the other person(s) in responding to their actions, may throw even bigger stones at them. One may lose an eye or sustain brain damage. Do not die for a political cause, which is only a seasonal cause. Your life is worth far more than that. Liberia's future depends on you, the young men and women of today. Prepare yourselves now to meet the challenges and needs of Liberia tomorrow.
Advice #5: Consider the following scenarios: If Liberians were to become foolhardy enough to resort to violence in order to win the presidency and God forbids; (a) some idiot willfully or even unintentionally harms Liberia's beloved "Oppong Weah."
Tell me, how will that person live the rest of his or her life in not only Liberia but the world? Or (b) some Liberian being the assassin of a prominent statesman, Joseph N. Boakai, to stop him from becoming president, how will that person be considered? Famous or a hero? or a patriot? (c) or Mr. Alexander Cummings, a son of the Liberian soil who made an enviable leadership record abroad and because of his love of country, he decided to return home and use his leadership experience to develop Liberia, is that any reason to eliminate him? (d) take this other son of the Liberian soil, Cllr. Tiawon S. Gongloe, the human rights advocate, who suffered and nearly got killed on several occasions but by the grace of God.
Should he be killed now because he wants to become president and someone does not think he deserves the position? I could say a thing or two about the other candidates but due to lack of space, I beg to stop here. And I ask how will Liberians feel if because of selfish desires to win this election, we start violence and kill fellow Liberians.
Advice #6 - Fellow citizens, I say to you - the presidency is not right. The position of president and any elective position is a privilege, a trust, an opportunity given by the people to a person of their choice to lead them, socially, economically, politically, and safely. The presidency is not an inheritance by succession a legacy or an entitlement. No one should therefore claim it, demand it, or seize it by force or fraud for any selfish reason or desire.
If the presidency were a matter of right then there would be no need for canvassing, campaigning, and voting. Let us abide by the rules, and the several words of advice, and for love of country, plan for peace and not for war.
And after doing our best in the interest of our common good and still losing, let us take our cases to the courts for redress and if we lose there too, we must go home and rest and try again, but never do as was done in 1985 when the opposition lost wrongly and decided to remove the fraudulent winner out of office by force - a decision that led to the death of hundreds of thousands, displacement of thousands, destruction of infrastructure and forced migrations of Liberians to far away with countries from where some will never return to their homeland, Liberia.
Liberians must do all humanly possible to avoid repeating this catastrophe and the ways to avoid the catastrophe will be (1) conducting a free fair and peaceful election, (2) accepting honest defeat, (3) taking your complaints to court with evidence, not to a "Libya" or anywhere else to learn about guerrilla warfare and come to Liberia with war.
If anyone tries to bring trouble, just remember that there will be no room this time in America for troublemakers or even peaceful refugees. America has its own problems resulting from election violence. Beware! Let us keep our country safe for all.
Advice #7: This advice is for those who engage in ritualistic killings of innocent children and adults - their fellow human beings - to make sacrifices to their campaign advisor/manager, Satan, in order to win an election.
I beg, that if you believe strongly in the power of Satan and follow his dictates to the letter - to bring human parts and by so doing you will win the elections - please use your own children. Do not cut anybody's life short for your success.
Use your own children even though your punishment before God will be the same - everlasting damnation, and if you are caught and convicted you will spend the rest of your miserable life behind bars, but in that case in which you sacrifice your own child or children, at least you will not be distressing other parents for your sacrifice.
Ritualistic killings have been going on in Liberia for years especially during election times and with impunity. Those of you who have engaged in sacrificing fellow human beings, like sheep, goats, cows, or chickens in your desperate desire to win and you succeeded before, do not try it this time. God spared you to give you an opportunity to repent and beg for forgiveness. To repeat it means you have not repented. You could be caught (and I pray for that). Stop doing evil!
Ritualistic killing is evil, barbaric, demonic, satanic, and undemocratic. Ritualistic killing is criminal. It has to be stopped and not ignored as if it is accepted as a cultural thing. Any willful and intentional killing of a person who has posed no threat to your life (self-defense) is murder and murder is a first-degree felony in Liberia.
I suggest that the Ministry of Justice pays serious attention and investigate any reports of dead bodies with missing body parts. Until the perpetrators of these evils are apprehended disgraced and incarcerated for life, they will continue to engage in their criminal and satanic behavior. This evil practice must be stopped. No one should lose his or her life for anyone's victory in the upcoming elections.
Let the voters decide.
Advice #8: Finally, I am pleading and advising all stakeholders: presidential candidates, senatorial candidates, representatives, Elections Commission, election officers, election watchers, election judges, and Supreme Court Justices, - please allow the multiple-party system to work as we go about campaigning, voting, counting, tallying, hearing and deciding complaints.
Let these processes be characterized and controlled by fairness, and integrity, not allowing corruption to determine the outcome. Let the constitution and the election laws direct and control the process, for the peace, security, and overall development of our country.
Am I meddling in political matters? Oh no! I am not. My reasons for adding my advice to those other pieces of advice against violence are two-fold: (1) I too, am a Liberian. Anything that happens or affects Liberia negatively or positively impacts all Liberians and that includes me.
Liberians need no one to tell them about the consequences of election violence. We are still feeling and seeing the very negative results of a war to revenge or correct an election fraud that escalated to a crisis the like of which Liberians had never experienced, it lasted for fourteen (14) nerve-wracking years. Liberians must never tread that path again. Good reason for the advice against violence. (2) For years and years many Liberians craved and dreamed of a Liberia where freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and an opposition party, will be allowed.
Those dreams were realized when I, in my capacity as Probate Judge, admitted into probate an opposition party thereby dismantling the age-old one-party system under which system those freedoms were fantasies only. The serious threats to my life and the safety of my entire family from the stakeholders - those against and those for the change did not influence my decision.
I had no fear. I felt that the country that boasted of being patterned after the democratic system of the United States of America where freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and multiple parties are allowed, Liberia should not have been ruled like an autocracy.
But unfortunately, that was how things were. There was only one party - the True Whig party, as a result, the resounding slogan was, "So says one, so say all". No opposition views. And they called that system a democracy.
That was a mockery. That was why I decided, when the opportunity presented itself, and did what I thought was the right thing to do - to probate the late Gabriel Baccus Matthews' and partners', PAL, the only opposition party for decades to see the light of day in Liberia.
The doors for the formation of multiple parties did not remain open long enough. The military staged a coup and banned all political activities in Liberia for the next five years. It was after the ban had been lifted that other parties including the first opposition party PAL, evolved and Liberia returned to a government ruled by civilians including the military head of state who turned civilian and participated in the election rigged the election, and paid the ultimate prize - death.
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I said then and am saying now that rigging an election is undemocratic, selfish, and corrupt. But killing a person for cheating or rigging an election and engaging in a war that destroyed our country and people was also very, very undemocratic, evil, and an affront to the rule of law which the democratic system admits.
No doubt I have made clear my reasons for getting involved in advising as we approach this election season. The multiple-party system that I participated in making a reality must be allowed to serve its purpose. If the multiple-party system does not serve its intended purpose - allowing opposition, then all the struggles sufferings, and threats that characterized its creation will be in vain.
Liberians must not allow a reversion to anything that resembles a one-party system of governance. To do so will likely be a catalyst for unrest or violence, which we know from experience does not solve any problem. Violence must be avoided by all means.
Remember, I said earlier on that elections are seasonal- once every six (6) years. We must not make enemies of one another, we must not kill one another, we must not burn our villages and towns and have nowhere to return to after the elections, or no one to laugh with, drink with, or work with to make Liberia a better place for the next generation(s) of Liberians.
Let's remember also that every registered voter has the right, just like you and me to vote for the candidate of his/her choice. We must not allow rudeness; violence and our ego to control our behavior as we prepare and participate in this democratic process. And may the right person for this country win and govern Liberia in the interests of all Liberians, not some Liberians but all Liberians.
May we remember that fellow citizens died and some suffered emotionally and physically to afford us the opportunity to participate in this process. We must therefore not abuse and destroy the fruits of their labor - the multiple-party system.
On October 10 let us put on our garments of responsible citizenship, transparency, integrity, and humility and go to the polls, cast our votes, and walk away without incident. And may God be our guide.
Love you all, fellow citizens,
Sincerely Yours,
Gladys K. Johnson
Associate Justice (Ret.)
Editor's note: The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Daily Observer's editorial stance.
