Monrovia — With less than three weeks to the conduct of the November 14 presidential run-off elections in Liberia, the Liberian People's Party (LPP) has officially endorsed the Unity Party (UP) of former Liberian Vice President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, with the advancement of several recommendations to help move Liberia and its citizens forward in terms of economic growth and development.
Renowned Liberian lawyer, who is also a former Solicitor General, Labour Minister and President of the Liberia National Bar Association (LNBA), Counselor Tiawan Gongloe is the Standard Bearer of the LPP.
It can be recalled that early this week, the National Elections Commission (NEC) announced a run-off between the CDC and UP after the 20 political parties and independent candidates who participated in the October 10 presidential and legislative elections failed to accumulate 50 percent plus one vote to be declared the winner for the presidency in keeping with the 1986 Liberian Constitution.
Addressing a news conference in Monrovia on Wednesday, October 25, Counselor Gongloe disclosed that results from the NEC show that the Liberian electorates voted for two of the 20 presidential candidates, virtually on an equal basis.
He stated that though the LPP was "brutally critical" of the CDC and UP during the campaign period of the first round of voting based on their records of governance, the LPP has resolved to finally endorsed the UP following the holding of broad consultations conducted with partisans and members of the various auxiliary groups of the LPP in Liberia and the diaspora that supported him and his running-mate, Dr. Emmanuel Urey Yarkpawolo.
Not our time
He added that it was difficult to reach this decision because the LPP ran a campaign based on a platform for the transformation of Liberia into a better country.
Counselor Gongloe summarized the ten-point agenda for a better Liberia of the LPP strengthening of the rule of law, combating corruption beginning with publication of assets and salaries of government officials, conducting quarterly lifestyle audits, dismissing and prosecuting those found to be corrupt; taking bold and measurable steps to provide free, compulsory and quality education to Liberian children from kindergarten to 12 grade; as well as eliminating adult illiteracy and providing technical and vocational education to high school dropouts and graduates in order to prepare them for employment.
He named others as: improving the health sector and making all government hospitals and clinics freely accessible to pregnant women, children under the age of five and all Liberians at age 65 years and above; mechanizing rice production throughout Liberia and establishing public works stations in the fifteen counties to keep the highways and farm to market roads maintained throughout the year, while gradually paving them as well as giving tax incentives to investors for companies that locate their factories fifty miles away from Monrovia.
He maintained that though the LPP believes that to transform Liberia is symbolized by its symbol, the broom, the party and its executives and members were told by the Liberian people that "our platform and our presidential candidate were good, but this was not our time."
"Fellow Liberians, partisans, supporters, and well-wishers of Liberia, today we are faced with an extremely difficult choice between two parties that were fiercely criticized by our partisans and supporters at home and abroad. From the broad consultations that we have conducted among our partisans and supporters at home and abroad as well as our conclusion that the party (CDC) in power placed Liberia in a virtual intensive care unit, we hereby declare that our party will support, the only opposition (UP) that was chosen by the Liberian people, to compete with the ruling party, (CDC)."
Expectations
Counselor Gongloe pointed out that the LPP has endorsed the UP based on its expectation that the party, in its first hundred days in office will take measurable steps to improve the rule of law, through strengthening law enforcement and the independence of the judiciary; publish the asset declarations of all officials of government along with their salaries and benefits; and increase the salaries of civil servants including police officers, nurses, military and paramilitary, teachers, janitors, etc.
He emphasized that the LPP also wants the UP to commence quarterly lifestyle audits of officials of government in the Executive Branch, take steps towards the investigation of all sanctioned officials in government with the assistance of the US Government, take steps towards the establishment of a War and Economic Crimes Court and increase the budget percentage to begin with mechanized agriculture.
According to him, the UP, under a Boakai led-government, should also increase percentage for education, and health to be at least 15 percent each of the 2024 budget and to put public works stations in the fifteen counties in order to improve the freedom of movement during the rainy season.
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"We hereby place on notice the party that we are declaring support for today, that upon its failure to meet these expectations, we will be the first to condemn and criticize them."
Counselor Gongloe, however, called on partisans and supporters of the LPP to go out to campaign and vote for the Unity Party and to ensure that the party wins this second round of the 2023 Presidential Elections.
Endorsements or pledging of political supports to the CDC or UP may intensify in the coming days.
Already, key political actors have commenced holding consultations with their respective executives, the Standard Bearers and the leaderships of both parties.
Breakaways or political deflections are also eminent in political parties as evidenced by the growing wave of internal wrangling which continues to characterize the entire process.
Though some of these endorsements may be financially driven, there have been mounting calls from Liberians both home and abroad for political actors and stakeholders to put forth the interest of Liberia and its citizens above their personal interest while sitting around the negotiation tables with the two parties.
