By our Staff Writer
The Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) presidential candidate Senator George Weah on Saturday vowed to win the pending runoff elections, claiming his opponent Vice President Joseph Boakai of the ruling Unity Party (UP) “has run out of ideas”.
Emboldened by a fresh endorsement of his presidential bid by a group of Muslims in Liberia, the international footballer-turned politician said in an upbeat mood at his party’s headquarters in Monrovia: “Whether it’s the 19th or 20 (December), we will be going to the polls, make no mistake.”
Earlier before ushering him to the podium, CDC’s National Chairman, Nathaniel McGill did not only boast of a CDC victory in the upcoming polls, he said “Senator Weah has a retirement package for Vice President Boakai.
McGill blamed Boakai’s UP and the opposition Liberty Party (LP) of Charles Brumskine for the stalemate in the electoral process by saying there was massive fraud, which they had no evidence to prove.
“No way to buy time because time has come for runoff,” the CDC Chairman said.
Weah and Boakai are expected to face off in the presidential runoff election, which has now been given the greenlight by the country’s Supreme Court’s ruling on Thursday, but an official date for the vote is expected to be announced shortly by the National Elections Commission (NEC)).
In the first round of the October 10, 2017 polls, Weah came first with nearly 39% , while Boakai got 28% in a race of 20 candidates. But none of them was able to get the needed absolute majority of 50% plus one vote required by the Liberian constitution.
At Saturday’s Muslim endorsement program, Weah was gowned by the United Muslim Organization of Liberia along with what organizers said 20 other Muslim groups.
In a statement, the Liberian Muslims said they have decided to give their vote to Weah in the upcoming runoff because of what he has to offer in his party’s platform and his love for country and people.
“We have come here to make it clear as possible why we are endorsing Ambassador George Weah. Weah believe that Minimum wage should be made a living wage. This election is about the thousands of high school and college drop outs who need to go back to school,” the statement said.
The Muslim group described the Weah is a unique candidate because “he is not a traditional politician.”
Accepting the pledge of support, the CDC political leader since 2005 assured Muslims of the protection of their rights if elected President, describing Muslims as good people.
“You are part of this great nation. We’ll make sure that both Muslims and Christians will live together in harmony,” the CDC Standard Bearer said.
His running mate, Senator Jewel Howard Taylor was one of the lawmakers backing a referendum proportions coming out of the Constitutional Review Committee national consultations to make Liberia a Christian nation.
But that proposition was bitterly resisted by some lawmakers, something Senator Weah alluded to in his response to the endorsement statement. He said he and his deputy amicably debate issues.
Declaring that he was once converted to Islam and that “Ousman is my real name,” Weah said, “we are all humans and we can make mistake.”
He promised that he will not be a dictatorial leader and that all Liberian will have a part to play in his government, including market women and ordinary people.
“When a nation is afraid of their leaders, the country doesn’t move. For this country to get together, we all will have to fix it,” Weah told his post war nation, adding that “everyone helped to destroy it’’ (this country).