By Emmanuel Mafelah, mafelahemmanuel29@gmail.com
GBARNGA, Liberia- The Vice Standard Bearer of the Opposition Alternative National Congress (ANC), Ambassador Jeremiah C. Sulunteh says it will be disappointing and frustrating for the opposition Unity Party (UP) to put up a candidate for Senate in Bong County comes 2020 senatorial election in the country.
He severed as Ambassador to Washington for several years during the former UP administration headed by ex-President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and he is an aspirant for the 2020 Miid-term Senatorial elections.
Ambassador Sulunteh added, “The Unity Party being a principles minded institution in our body politics, I believes that what happened during the 2019 by-election in Grand Cape Mount County will not be repeated in Bong County. Because the ANC was feeding a candidate while the UP was feeding its own candidate at the results the both parties loss the election.”
The Bong County senatorial hopeful said the upcoming senatorial polls in the country is a test for the opposition political parties, “whether we’re serious or not. Whether we love the people claimed that we love”.
The leaders of four leading opposition political parties in Liberia in February of 2019 signed a Memorandum of Understanding agreeing to intensify efforts leading to the consummation of what many political observers say is the first step toward establishing a united front against the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC).
The opposition leaders – Mr. Joseph Nyumah Boakai of the former ruling Unity Party, Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine of the Liberty Party, Mr. Benoni Urey, of the All Liberia Party and Mr. Alexander B. Cummings of the Alternative National Congress all took turns pledging support to a rare marriage of political convenience they say aims to hold the ruling CDC government’s feet to the fire.
The MOU states that the four leaders are convinced that a fair, transparent and competitive democratic process is vital to Liberia’s long-term prosperity and security and recognizes the role of political parties as indispensable partners in national development as well as the strengthening of Liberia’s young democracy.
Mr. Urey, who was declared as the first rotating chairman of the arrangement said the signing marks a history-making day for Liberia. “Today Liberia is once again making history. Over the year we have heard the clarion call from Liberians both at home and abroad and also the call from our international partners of the need for the opposition to unite.”
“We have decided to put Liberia first and to attune our political agenda in the interest of Liberia and the Liberian people; and above our individual and partisan ambitions. We are taking the bold and concrete step which we hope will never be reversed or undone.”
We as political leaders must commit to this process as we are doing today by the signing of this statement.”
The Political leader of the ANC, Alexander C. Cumming endorsed the Bong County Senatorial hopeful Ambassador Sulunteh as its candidate for the 2020 Senate in Salala district, Bong County with the consent with the other members of the coalition in 2919.
Observers say it’s a boost for the opposition parties as they look set to gain momentous support due to the influx of politicians and ordinary Liberians that are also pledging their support to the candidacy of Sulunteh.
It’s no secret that Liberia Deputy House Speaker and Bong County electoral district#2 Representative Prince K. Moye will be contesting for the Senate in Bong.
Representative Moye being a senior partisan of the former ruling Unity Party have said that he cannot disappoint his people by refusing their calls to contest the upcoming senatorial election in the county.
But Amb. Sulunteh said that in order to keep the spirit of the opposition coalition political parties it will be wise for the Liberia Deputy Speaker step aside.
“You are our Deputy Speaker, what more do you want. There are other qualify sons and daughters of this great county, what about then.
We cannot allowed one group of people running our belove county for their own selfish gain,” Amb. Sulunteh told www.newspublictrust.com in Gbarnga earlier this week.
“That’s I’m saying elect me for the Senate because of my work experience in and outside of the country. A former Minister of Post and Telecommunication, Labor and Transport and Ambassador to the U. S. Mexico and Canada is an added adventive for the job compare to my colleagues on the other side of the debates.
If am elected senator of this County it will benefit every citizens in this country because I know which door to knock out there for things to happen.
In order to actualize this efforts or calls Sulunteh purchased motorbikes ahead of the much awaited Senatorial Election in the County,” the former Liberian envoy to the UN added.
Amb. Sulunteh said the purchasing of the motorbikes is part of efforts to prepare him for the pending election.
The Distribution of the bikes affected several Districts coordinators of the Friends of Sulunteh in Bong County.
During the bikes distribution, Sulunteh again trashed gossip that he has accepted a governmental job in order to pull out of the pending 2020 election
Mr. Sulunteh did not disclose the cost of the motorbikes to the press in the County, but said it was intended to buttress the effort of his coordinators ahead of the 2020 Senatorial election in the Country.
He told his supporters not to be distracted by such rumor as no amount of political tactics will discourage him from participating in the 2020 electoral process in Bong County.
“Even when US President Donad Trunk face appears on the ballot paper, I will still remain a formidable force in the pending election,” Amb. Sulunteh further stated.
In March of 2019, Ambassador Sulunteh distributed assorted medical supplies to Phebe and C.B. Dunbar hospitals as a way of giving back to his people.
In his acquaintance meeting with health workers, the former Liberian Ambassador to the US, Canada and Mexico said he was born by a Midwife and reared by a professional Nurse and as such, he will always have Health workers and health institutions at heart, as well as in his plans for Bong county and Liberia at large.
Presenting the thirty thousand Liberian dollars ($30.000) to the Administration of the hospital, Sulunteh stating the money given to health workers at the facility is for their lunch and not merely for drugs and medical supplies for the hospital.
During his visitation at the only Maternity hospital in this central region of the country, Amb. Sulunteh pledged his unbending supports to the hospital, stating that his support to the health system in the coming months will enable health workers to effectively and efficiently perform their duties.
He has meanwhile cautioned citizens of the county not to support or elect individuals that do not have a mark and have no idea of redeeming the county from its dark days.
“You must desists from electing people who only called on youths during elections time. You must desists from electing people who doesn’t have any deliverables to show such as youth development initiatives,”Amb. Sulunteh added.