Tells Campaigners Of Boakai-Cummings Ticket: Alex Cummings Is “A Gift From God”
PHOTO: (L-R) CPP Chairman Musa Hassan Bility former Maryland County Sen. Ballout
By Moses M. Tokpah, mosesmtokpah@gmail.com
The Chairman of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), Musa Hassa Bility has revealed that the position of the CPP to get the support of former Vice President Joseph Boakai for Alexander Cummings to head the ticket in the October 10 presidential election.
The bad blood withing the first CPP was huge so much so that Boakai’s Unity Party and Benoni Urey’s All Liberian Party (ALP) pulled out last year, in the wake of the lawsuit filed against Alexander Cummings of the Alternative National Congress (ANC) who was accused of tampering with the CPP’s Framework Document.
Receiving the lead campaigner of the Boakai-Cummings ticket at the CPP headquarters in Monrovia this week, Mr. Bility said the position of the CPP is for Amb. Boakai to lift the hands of Mr. Cummings to run and he Boakai supports the CPP Standard Bearer.
Former Maryland County Senator, John Ballout to heading the united opposition campaigners.
On Thursday, April 13, 2023, a group headed by Mr. Ballout named and styled “United Opposition Taskforce for Boakai-Cummings Ticket” presented petitions to the Unity Party and the CPP at their respective Parties headquarters on Broad and 19th Streets.
Mr. John Ballout earlier called on the political leaders of the two opposition political parties in the petition to put aside their differences and put the interest of the people first and form a ticket that will give them a first round victory over the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change of Amb. George Manneh Weah in the upcoming legislative and presidential elections.
“We the citizens of Liberia united under the umbrella structure of the opposition Unity Taskforce have written you asking you, appealing to you to unite and bring the opposition together and win our election first round.”
According to Mr. Ballout, the country is relying on Amb. Boakai and Mr. Cummings to get them out of the nightmare of a government noting that the country has been engulfed with series of hardship which the citizens can no longer bear.
He argued that the citizens are without jobs, while the salary of the little that were working few years ago that they tried to give jobs to and raised their salary to hundred and fifty dollars today have their salary reduced to seventy-five dollars and below.
Former Sen. Ballout went on to say that today people cannot afford to feed their family while Liberia is probably the biggest ghetto they know with more than 1,000 ghettos thereby referencing a statistic from the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency (LDEA) indicating that their children are vulnerable with drugs and crimes.
In addition to that, Ballout said there is a progressive degree in the quality of education and the general wellbeing of their citizens, uncontrollable corruption, and lack of accountability which has never before been seen in the country’s history.
He continued: “The people of Liberia know that their hope and aspiration hang on one ticket and one ticket alone. There is only one option that is Amb. Boakai, Mr. Cummings combination because it is that only ticket and formula that can bring the two divided opposition blocks together.
It is that ticket that has been tested and proven to be effective and winnable. We have defeated CDC massively with that formula and the citizens you see today demand that same formula.”
He indicated that they know where this is leading when they go separate ways stating, ‘we don’t want it, the hint to the wise is quit sufficient.’
Mr. Ballout described Amb. Boakai is an astute statesman with a measured qualification and experience in governance marched with the business argument of Mr. Alexander Cummings, as his understanding of the economic is mastery over the platform and the whatever that is required to build the country and give all of them jobs expressing that they need these two.
He believes that the two people can deliver what the Liberian people want. He reiterated call for the two opposition political parties to come together and put their differences aside.
Meanwhile, the former Maryland County Senator has revealed that their intent is not to embarrass, disrespect and affront Mr. Cummings, but a desperate move from desperate people as they don’t want to miss “this God given opportunity”.
He also described Mr. Cummings as a gift from God to Liberia so it is with Amb. Boakai, as such they don’t want to lose them. “We have two of Liberia’s best and we don’t want to be forced to choose between the two when we can have the both of them,” he concluded.
But Mr. Bility said the CPP has given its side and the same is expected of Unity Party.
Mr. Bility acknowledged that the CPP is for a single ticket for an opposition, a reason he added the collaboration was formed.
He disclosed that the intent of the CPP was to have a single ticket for the opposition and it is the vision of those who formed the party something he expressed they have struggled to achieve but acknowledged that with the renew engagement of Mr. Ballout; they hope that it can be achieved.
“The CPP is not the property of the Liberty Party and the ANC, it is the home of all opposition party and it is opened. We want for all of us to converge in the CPP so that within the CPP we can push our leaders to make a choice, the CPP Standard Bearer continues to push for a single ticket and we are prepared for it without any reservation to sit with our colleagues from the UP, the ALP to discuss it for Liberia being the sole purpose so that we all go around the table with no preconceive position and whatever we come with I think the Liberian people will support it,” Mr. Bility stressed.
He assured Mr. Ballout that whatever agreement at this point Amb. Boakai and Mr. Cummings agree on the CPP will support its standard bearer to uphold such agreement.
According to him, what they have always said is that it is always good to know what the other side says indicating that the CPP has asked for a communication, a relationship building mechanism between the CPP and the Unity Party.
He stated the readiness of the CPP to engage the UP and sit with the party and to go anywhere to have meeting with them with the sole aim of forming a single ticket.
He also assured Mr. Ballout that whatever table that is provided for Amb. Boakai and Mr. Cummings to sit on and talk Liberia and make a decision that will benefit Liberians, Mr. Cummings will be there stating the that the CPP is open to this and that they hope this can be an open minded discussion so that it cannot be a one-way street.
Mr. Bility also revealed the position of the CPP by asking Mr. Boakai to lift up the hands of Mr. Cummings in order to support him (Cummings to run.
“When we go in the room there, like the CPP has said we have our position, Mr. Cummings has asked Mr. Boakai please lift my hands up so that you can support me to run, we want to hear Mr. Ambassador what is Mr. Boakai’s position,” CPP Chairman Bility added.
Musa Hassan Bility then said it is important just as the CPP has openly stated its position, and its readiness to sit on the table it is equally important for them to know whether the Unity Party is prepared and willing to go on the table to discuss the issue.
He told former Sen. Ballout that it is not enough though he (Bility) knows this step is a good step, giving them letter is not enough thereby calling on the former senator to push them to sit on the table and discuss the issue.
For her part, UP’s Chairperson for Operation, Darblah Manbande Varpilah receiving the petition on behalf of the Party assured the group that the Party will respond to the petition in the soonest possible time.
Madam Varpilah: “We will not let our people down, we listen to you, we hear your voices; we will work together in a progressive manner to make Weah one term President.”