Just 9 Months To Presidential And Legislative Elections, Says Challenges Of The Past Five Years Were “Enormous” But His Gov’t Has Made “Tremendous Progress”
PHOTO: Weah addressing large crowd of CDC supporters at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium (ATS)
By Kelvin Gonlah, gonlahkelvin88@gmail.com
As expected, President George Manneh Weah has accepted the nomination of his ruling CDC party saying that he was overwhelmingly happy “in the name of the father, son and holy spirit”, the now preacher at the Forky Klon Jlateh Family Fellowship Church said in front of a large crowd of his ruling CDC party supporters.
They thronged the Antoinette Tubman Stadium (ATS) in central Monrovia on Saturday, February 4, 2023.
Prior to the nomination rally, Weah’s one-time strong political ally, Nimba County Senator Prince Y. Johnson said Liberians should not give the CDC Standard Beaerer a second term, questioning the President’s sincerity.
Sen. Johnson noted that when Weah took office in 2018, he advised the president to audit the Sirleaf government, but he (Weah) failed to do so, as he has refused to admit that US$150 million was left in the national coffers as contained in former President Sirleaf’s hand-over notes.
Security was beefed up and mounted by the Liberia National Police (LNP) and other state security forces who secured the corridor around the stadium and other parts of the Liberian capital for the much-publicized “1 Million Citizens’ Rally” which the CDC had announced.
Cdcians stormed the ATS for the re-nomination of President George Manneh Weah 2nd terms as Standard Bearer of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC). As it was also held across the 15th political subdivisions of Liberia at the same time on yesterday.
In the crowd were women groupings, religious leaders, political leaders of CDC, traditional leaders, Marketers, new political parties that emerged with CDC, new auxiliary groups and CDC first time voters in their dominant blue T-shirt and their blue Tsunami.
In a brief statement, the Chairman of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), Mulbah K. Morlu declared the national executive committee of the ruling party and partisans are convinced that President Weah is extraordinary to be on the ballot for re-election come October 10 this year.
“Your people have asked me to tell you that they are standing behind you, they are supporting you, your children have come to you, because they believe that you have lain the foundation for change. Therefore, the national committee of the mighty Congress for Democratic Change and all its partners have cast a ballot to nominate you to run for the second times to re-elect you. Therefore, with the power invested in me as the national Chairman for the mighty Congress for Democratic Change and all its collaborating partners, we hereby nominate you as His Excellency President George Manneh Weah as presidentof the Republic of Liberia for the 2nd term,” Chairman Morlu said.
At the jam-packed Stadium, the CDC Standard Bearer said he was accepting the nomination without hesitation.
“I am therefore both pleased, and honored, to accept your nomination of me as your Standard Bearer, to lead our Party to seek a second six-year mandate from the Liberian People. I am certain that with your full support and backing, our victory is assured. Let me now say a warm and enthusiastic welcome to all those parties who are now here seeking to join our Mighty Coalition! You have come to the right place, Ladies and Gentlemen! You have come to a Party that works, a Party that serves, a Party that achieves, a Party that succeeds, and above all, a Party that wins. we also want to welcome, with open arms, all of our Partisans who once left us to seek what they mistakenly thought were better opportunities in other political parties, only to discover that there is nothing better than the CDC. This is where you belong, and this is where you will remain. Welcome back home, we love you,” President Weah declared.
The international football icon-turned politician told the gathering of his partisans that over five years ago, Liberians went to the polls and participated in the Presidential and Legislative elections, the results of which represented a major shift in the underlying fundamentals of the Liberian political dynamic. In an orderly, lawful, and peaceful manner, Liberians voted, in overwhelming numbers, not just for a change of administration, but for a change of regime.
According to him, in a quiet and determined way, they exercised their franchise to bring about a Change for Hope, and voted for a change in governance that would restore hope to the underprivileged, the poor, and the traditionally disadvantaged in the Liberian society, whose needs and aspirations had never been given appropriate priority and attention by previous administrations.
“At the end of a long campaign, when the results were announced after the run-off, it became clear that the pendulum had swung in the direction of youthful leadership, and that the paradigm had shifted in favor of change and transformation,” added President Weah.
He continued: “It was the dawn of a new era in Liberian politics, a new era in which the Liberian electorate had given a landslide victory of over 85% to the Mighty Coalition for Democratic Change. As Political Leader and Standard Bearer of the winning political party, the mantle and responsibility of leading this transformation therefore devolved upon me, when I was inaugurated as the 24th President of Liberia on January 22, 2018”.
At the same time, the Liberian leader has said the challenges of leadership have been enormous, but each and every one of these challenges, he has seen opportunities to make things better, and to bring permanent improvements to the lives of all Liberians. He further stated that the transformation agenda, as captured in their national development plan, the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD), is on course, but will take some time before it is fully realized.
“However, over the past five years, Liberia has made tremendous progress under our leadership. In the implementation and management of the Pro-Poor Agenda, we have taken many bold initiatives in order to bring about the transformative change that Liberia needs to grow and to prosper. Some of these initiatives have represented new strategic approaches to development, and some of them again were tried and tested formulas for nation-building. But they were all designed to work together to lift Liberia and Liberians to a higher standard of living. And now, as we come to the end of the term to which we were elected, it is my intention to seek a second mandate from the Liberian people to continue the good works of our hand, and to complete our unfinished but imperative agenda. I am sure that they will respond positively to our quest. After all, they did this once, based on our promise of Change for Hope. I am sure that they will have even more reason to do so, now that they have seen the “Change That You Can Depend On”, he recounted.
The CDC Standard Bearer also congratulated the state security apparatus, both the military and para-military, for the excellent work done in maintaining peace and security throughout his first term, without violating the human rights of the Liberian citizens.
“When we went to the Legislature the other night, we mentioned some of the things that we have done over the past 5 years. We did not point out all the things we had done. The list was too long. Because, if I had tried to name all the things that I have done, we were not going to leave that place until way after 9:00 o’clock that night. I spoke for 3 hours and 17 minutes. If I was going to continue to tell the people what all we have achieved together in these five years, hey, Liberian people, we were not going to move from that Capitol Building that night,” the Liberian leader said.
President Weah pleaded with the Liberian people to grant him a second term, stating that they should prepare themselves to embrace another leader when their term ends.
He told the gathering that the Constitution does not permit third terms, and so he will gladly stand down in 2030, and hand the gavel of the Presidency over to any leader that has been duly elected by the Liberian people. This was a solemn pledge that he made to the Liberian people at the 1 Million Citizens’ Rally on Saturday.
“And so today, I accept your call for me to run for second term. I therefore appeal to all Liberians to join me in what you started five (5) years ago. All “n’embêta” of the CDC coalition members, of\ the UP, ANC, and Liberty Party, and all other political parties, are invited to join me in taking Liberia to a new era of Peace and Prosperity. You can COUNT ON THE CHANGE that I have delivered, and I will continue to provide more transformative leadership, in the supreme interest of the Liberian People.And therefore, I am here today to tell the Liberian people that I will be on the ballot as a Presidential candidate in the next elections,” President Weah said.