Decries Lack Of Much-Needed Funding, Others, To Ensure Inaugural Success
PHOTO; (L-R) President-elect Joe Boakai and Vice President-elect Jeremiah Koung
The Better Future Foundation (BFF), in collaboration with Partners for Democracy and Good Governance, (PdG), a civic society advocacy organization, has expressed grave concern about the visible inadequacies relative to preparations for the scheduled Inauguration of the President-elect and Vice President-elect, Joseph Nyuma Boakai and Jeremiah Koung respectively.
On Monday, 22, January, 2024, Liberia’s President-elect, Joseph Nyuma Boakai and Vice President-elect, Jeremiah Koung, are scheduled to be officially inaugurated.
According to BFF, although the historic inaugural ceremonies of the President-elect and his Vice President-elect are scheduled for Monday, 22, January, 2024, at the Capitol Building, the seat of the National Legislature in Monrovia, the necessary mechanisms aimed at the success of the inaugural ceremonies are yet to be fully implemented, a situated which, according to BFF and partners, may cause serious national embarrassments if the current inadequacies, are not appropriately addressed.
BFF referenced the lack of decoration along the principal streets in anticipation of international dignitaries, inaccessibility to, and lack of proper arrangements with major service providers, non-accessibility to inaugural invitations by key stakeholders including foreign guests, financing, intense public awareness and preparations about the inauguration in several parts of the country, among other inadequacies.
BFF, in collaboration with PdG expressed displeasure that other crucial programs which may lead to the success of the Inaugural ceremonies have either been brushed aside or swept under the carpet for acute lack of much-needed funding support for implementation.
The disappointing situation, BFF indicated, is warranted by what appears to be a barefaced negligence, and deliberate non-cooperative posture and bottlenecks introduced by multiple key officials of the outgoing administration.
In the press release, signed by its Secretariat, BFF stressed that Presidential Inauguration is a National obligation that must be fully carried out as required by the Constitution of the Republic of Liberia.
BFF which deployed over 100 observers across the country during the 2023 presidential and Legislative elections quoted Article 53a of the 1986 Constitution of the Republic of Liberia that– “The President and the Vice-President shall, before entering on the execution of the duties of their respective offices, take a solemn oath or affirmation to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and laws of the Republic and faithfully execute the duties of the office. The oath or affirmation shall be administered in joint convention of both Houses of the Legislature by the Chief Justice or, in his absence, the most senior Associate Justice”.
While the Constitution and Laws of Liberia do not provide the protocol and mechanisms for the orderly transfer of power from one democratically elected President to another democratically-elected President, BFF pointed out that for the pending inaugural program, “a system of appropriate protocols and mechanisms were established for the management and coordination of the smooth transfer of power in line with EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 123, issued by incumbent president George Manneh Weah, establishing the Joint Presidential Transition Team, JPTT.
However, BFF, in collaboration with PdG pointed out that somewhat calculated delay, bottlenecks and seeming underfunding of several key activities relating to inaugural preparation may severely impact the ceremony which is just a day away.
The 22 January, 2024 inaugural ceremonies are expected to be graced by an array of local and foreign dignitaries including Heads of State and Government, members of the Diplomatic Community, and other World-Leaders.
According to BFF, Inauguration represents the substantive climax of the entire electoral process, and cautioned the state, particularly the outgoing administration to honor its constitutional obligations with honesty and due diligence for the preservation of peace and security in the country.
BFF, in conclusion, calls on the outgoing administration to address the Inaugural Preparation inadequacies with urgency for peace and stability to avoid national embarrassment, BBF Secretariate said in a statement over the weekend.