PHOTO: Standard bearers, chairman and representatives of opposition political parties
By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
As the October 10 presidential and legislative elections draw nearer, 16 opposition political parties have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at protecting and safeguarding the votes of the Liberian people in the upcoming polls.
In the MOU, signed by several opposition political leaders and their chairmen, the parties agreed on a nine-count agreement so as to work together in monitoring the polling centers, among other things.
According to the MOU, the opposition political parties resolved to jointly train poll watchers and the deployment of an independent poll watching team.
The opposition politicians also decided to ensure united opposition at all polling centers in Liberia and ensure that there is cooperation to support opposition candidates where parties do not have candidates.
The MOU also mandates opposition political parties to establish an independent war room that receives votes from polling centers across the country including the development of software that will track election results electronically.
The opposition politicians committed themselves to the establishment of a secretariat to ensure drafting of agreements and driving the implementation of joint activities.
Count Seven of the MOU said the opposition political parties will independently track, document and report violence against opposition politicians so as to ensure a dossier is maintained with evidence.
The opposition politicians resolved to jointly engage the international community on security and other related issues for the October 10th presidential and legislative elections.
The opposition political parties then agreed to work together for a joint positioning on round two against the Coalition for Democratic Change
Speaking just before the signing ceremony, the standard bearer of the African Liberation League, Sara Beysolow-Nyanti, disclosed that the MOU is still open to all opposition political parties.
According to her, the most important reason of being together as opposition political parties is to guarantee the public confidence in the 2023 presidential and legislative elections by protecting the their votes.
She added that coming together as opposition political parties is the rightful step in the rightful direction and commended these political leaders for their time and energies thus far
“Liberians need to be united and we have to plant the seed of unity in all directions especially during the this elections,” Madam Nyanti said ; adding : “ as of Sunday night , 16 opposition political parties have agreed to this MOU and about eleven are on hand to sign as others are still reviewing the document and some are just too far for campaign.”
“It is an opportunity to show to the Liberian people that we can work together because many believe that we can’t; but we can and together we are ; the stronger we will be because this is the cooperation of the willing.”
“The agreement calls for the establishment of a secretariat and will be comprised of each member of the opposition political parties and the door is still open for the willing.”
For his part, the standard bearer of the Collaborating Political Parties, Alexander Cummings, said he wants to ultimately remind President George Weah that it is his responsibility to ensure that this election is free, fair, and transparent.
He added that President Weah has the constitutional obligation to protect the peace, all the necessary the state apparatus and control over the National Elections Commission and it is his responsibility that he performs this mandate to the Liberian people.
“We, in the opposition have to verify or trust and we should not compete but cooperate and expressed the hope that all opposition political parties should whatever they to actualize the MOU by funding it.”
The CPP standard bearer encouraged the opposition political parties to make sure that the MOU works so that all of its provisions are implemented.
Meanwhile, the standard bearer of the Liberian People’s Party, Counselor Taiwon Gongloe, stressed the need for all political parties including the Coalition for Democratic Change ensure that the process is transparent and credible in order to sustain the peace in the country.
Gongloe indicated that the LPP wants the outcome of the elections represents the reflection of the voters because the party sees it fit as it is line of honesty and transparency.
“Every step taken in the electoral process must be in an effort to unite the people around national interest because we know the history of this country always around the conduct of free, fair and inclusive elections.”
As for the Liberia Restoration Party, its standard bearer, Alvin Brown, said cooperation is very important at this time in history.
According to him, this is necessary in order to be on the right side of history because protecting the votes is sacred in the democracy.
Speaking on behalf of the Unity Party, its Chairman, Reverend Luther Tarpeh, described the signing ceremony as a historic moment for the opposition bloc in the country.
According to him, the Liberian people believe that the opposition political parties should come together in order to remove the CDC-led government especially the direction in which the country is going ,
He said the Unity Party is committed to the tenants in the MOU and indicate that all of them are competing against President Weah and his people but not against each other.
Concluding, he said that this venture will help reduce the cost of recruiting poll watchers in order to observe the polls so as to be able to remove this government democratically.