As Three Candidates Failed To Utilized The Presidential Debate Platform
By J. Peter S. Dennis, dennisrealone@gmail.com
Nine of the 20 presidential candidates who took part in the first round of the presidential election on October 10, 2023 made a number of promises at the 2nd presidential debate sponsored by USAID Media Activity through Internews in Liberia’s central city of Gbarnga.
The three candidates—incumbent President George Weah of the CDC and Joseph Boakai of the main opposition Unity Party and Alexander Cummings of the CPP—failed to show up at both the Gbarnga and Monrovia debates organized by the Consortium of Media and Civil Society organizations.
This piece is analyzing the promises made by the nine candidates in the Gbarnga presidential debate, which was attended by a cross-section of Liberians, foreign diplomats, International and local election observers and reached tens of thousands via live radio broadcast and various online and Social Media platforms.
The nine presidential candidate stated how they are best suited to address the challenges facing Liberia in the areas of education, agriculture, health, infrastructure, the rule of law, peace and reconciliation, youth empowerment, corruption, foreign policy, the economy as well as gender and inclusion.
In attendance were Cllr.Tiawon Saye Gongloe of the Liberian People’s Party (LPP), Bendu Alehma Kromah (Independent candidate), Joshua Tom Turner of the New Liberia Party, Sheikh Kouyateh of the Liberia First Movement, Edward Appleton (Grassroots Development Movement), Rev. Sara Beysolow Nyanti, African Liberation League (ALL), Luther N. Yourfee, Liberia Rebuilding Party (LRP), David G.B. Kiamue, Democratic People’s Party of Liberia (DPL) and Robert Franz Morris (Independent Candidate).
Each of the candidates outlined their manifesto in different manner, while appealing with Liberians to head the presidency. A jotted platform from each candidate below:
Bendu Alehma Kromah (Independent candidate):
- Agriculture
- Improve existing hospitals
- Infrastructure development
- Advance Educational system- to make students computer literate by investing in educational technologies.
- Corruption- will deal with corrupt officials by conducting forensic audit
- Economy- “the economy is deterioting; will train and employ qualify staff”.
Luther N. Yourfee (Liberia Rebuilding Party)
- Education- will initiate a bill to improve qaulity education as well as improve teachers’qualifications to focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).
- Agriculture & Economy- there will be rice production to ensure sufficient rice to feed the country.
- Health- His government will legislate a policy not to support anyone’s medical bill out of Liberia. There will also be knowledge impartation program where trained doctors and surgians from India will be hired to train Liberians.
- Infrastructure- will maintain existing roads and later upgrade it by placing asphalts on them.
- Rule of law- will build technical vocation institutions at each prison facility that’ll enable prisoners to have skills while in prison.
- Corruption- stolen money will be refund or properties will be confiscated
- Youth Empowerment- young people will be empowered by to learn. Will rehabilitate disadvantaged youths across the county.
- Economy- will advocate for 10% ownership shares from very company in Liberia for recovery process. We want to make sure that when either of these companies leaves, the people must have something for recovery process.
Joshua Tom Turner, New Liberia Party (NLP):
- Plans to industralize Liberia-putting 80% of the people to work, only 20% have gainful employment
- Will bring back “made in Liberia” – instead of spending huge foreign exchange on importing commodities made in Ghana and other countries. This will further help to resucitate the economy.
- Will introduce mechanize farming to turn the agriculture sector around. Will establish food bank to ensure food security and value addition by opening factories where fruit juices will be produced as the raw materials will be purchased from local farmers.
- Vows to call for a national referendum to amend articles 56 & 36 of the Liberian Constitution stating that appointed officials working at the pleasure of the presidency is wrong and won’t mean total independence.
- Will promote the country’s foreign policy
- Infrastructure development- will bring in expertees to do better roads across the Country
- Corruption- will tackle corruption by upholding the rule of law
- Health- will establish free diagnosis center where citizens will be screened early to detect any illness as there are many people dying of unwantedly because they can’t afford this. Will subsidize medications by setting up factories where trained doctors and surgeons from India will be hired to train Liberians. Every Liberian will have health five-star health insurance.
Sheikh Kouyateh (Liberia First Movement):
- Peace & reconciliation- supports the establishment of war crimes court in Liberia
- Education- will establish TVET in various high schools across the country to enhance skills of high school graduates that will further create jobs.
- Corruption- fight against corruption while promising total accountability. Will also ensure assets’ declaration.
- Gender and Inclusion- he will empower people living with disabilities
Cllr. Tiawon Gongloe, Liberian People’s Party (LPP):
- Fight corruption by pushing corrupt official, asset declaration and lifestyle audits
- Enforce the laws of Liberia including non-interference with the functions of the Judiciary
- Promote National Reconciliation and healing by ensuring every Liberian is treated fairly
- Ensure gender equity and job opportunities for all Liberians including the physically challenged
- Ensure the implementation of the Liberianization policy by creating enabling evironment for private sector growth and development
- Make Liberia food-sufficient country by heavily investing in the mechanization of agriculture
- Provision of quality education including the elimination of high illiteracy rate in Liberia
- Ensure decentralization of government functionaries including farm-to-market roads development and maintenance throughout the year
- Ensure quality healthcare for all Liberians including a national insurance policy for all Liberians
- Promote sports, arts and culture
Robert Franz Morris (Independent Candidate):
- Review all foreign policies and uphold them
- Corruption- tackle corruption from the top. Will enforce the law for officials to declare their assets
- Rule of Law- Allow integrity institutions to function
- Education- Will include Tvet education including website design, graphc designs, etc. to create more jobs for high school students
- Agriculture- introduce mechanized farming for the country to feed itself in three years
- Infrastructure- ensure sufficient and afforable electricity
- Combat drugs in the country
Rev. Sara Beysolow Nyanti, African Liberation League (ALL)
- Education- will ensure that the country experiences quality education by investing into the sector as teachers’ qualifications will be key. Will introduce teachers’ mentorship program for aspiring young teachers. Will establish TVET as well as put premium on Early Childhood Education (ECD).
- Agriculture-Will minimize importation by focusing on mechanized farming.
- Health- will invest into the sector by supporting mental health to avoid the unwanted stigma. Will train doctors, surgeons and midwives as well as ensure there is free healthcare.
- Infrastructure-maintenance of roads, water, etc. through adequate budgetary allocation.
- Rule of law- will uphold the constitution by maintaining the rule of law.
- Economy- will ensure that the tax structure is strengthened as well as create more jobs. Will ensure that young with potential talents are scouted into their value addition program where locally produced commodities will be taken there for processing and later taken into the larger economy and even exported. According to her, proceeds from the export will be placed into the economy.
- Youth empowerment- will rehabilitate disadvantaged youths and later create internship programs for young people. Will establish women and youth business and accountability system
David G.B. Kiamue (Democratic People’s Party of Liberia):
- Ensure affordable and accessible educational system
- Agriculture- each region will be tasked to produce a specific food after being resourced.
- Health- make every major hospital to have a traditional treatment as some sicknesses don’t require manufactured drugs, but herbal treatment.
- Rule of law: vows to clean up or strengthen the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency, the Liberia National Police as well as strengthen weak institutions
Edward Appleton (Grassroots Development Movement):
- Will provide incentives to promote schools and make public schools free across the country. Ensures that teachers are qualified before getting into the classrooms thereby enhancing the Teacher Training Institutes with more emphasis on improving schools’ curriculums to focus on STEM to further ensure that there’s a skill based educational system in Liberia.
- Will ensure that the Central Agriculture Research Institute (CARI), Bong County Agriculture Development Program (BCADP) are fully enhanced to ensure mechanized farming
- Make healthcare affordable by rolling out a mandatory plan to vaccinate kids across the country to reduce early or neonatal death
- Infrastructure: invest into roads, building the coastal highway, renewable and solar energy; transform the ports by renovating them into international standard.
- Rule of law: national security or officers will not be intimidated as all forms of violence will be rejected.
- Will empower Liberians to ensure that many own stores
- Corruption: will declare war on corruption and drugs importation
- Gender and Inclusion: women will be included free of intimidation at work places.
Speaking earlier, Internews Chief of Party Ms. Lien Bach emphasized that the debates would help “increase the engagement of citizens in the elections, and bring about improved election processes that ensure trust in the future and promote a peaceful election”.
“Electoral debates play a crucial role in promoting informed decision-making, fostering transparency, and engaging citizens in the democratic process. The debate will provide a platform for open discussion, policy analysis, and voter education,” said Ms. Bach.
The 2023 presidential debate organizing consortium includes the Liberia Media for Democratic Initiatives (LMDI), the Center for Media Studies and Peacebuilding (CEMESP), the Amos C. Sawyer Foundation, the Association of Community Radios (ALICOR), Local Voices Liberia, and the Female Journalists Association of Liberia (FeJAL), among others.
Opportunities the presidential debates provide
These presidential debates offer the opportunity for citizens to learn about the candidates’ positions on key issues, their policy proposals, and their vision for the future, enabling citizens to make informed choices during the elections. It also enhances electoral transparency and encourages accountability, by creating a public forum for candidates to discuss their platforms, defend their positions, and address voters’ concerns.
At the same time, some residents of Bong County who attended the debate appreciated the Consortium of Media and Civil Society organizations for staging a process where they’re able to hear from various presidential candidates that will enable them to make informed decision on elections day.
According to them, these engagements are “healthy democracy. We will decided as soon as we head to the ballot box on voting day”.
They encouraged others who didn’t attend to always participate in these events to enable the electorates hear from them on key policy issues.
According to the National Elections Commission (NEC) 2023 data, there are 2, 471,617 registered voters in Liberia.