Africa-Press – Liberia. The opposition Unity Party has called on “officials and apologists” of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) to campaign on their record—”that is, if there is any”—and desist from any attempt to thwart the democratic will of the people.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Unity Party noted that the ruling party has resorted to framing and misinterpreting comments from the opposition community to “garner sympathy from the public” as the Weah administration “lacks tangibles” to campaign on and to sway voters.
“When UP Standard Bearer Joseph Nyuma Boakai (JNB) says that if the elections are rigged, there would be no country, he is NOT saying that he and his supporters will wipe out the country,” said Amos Tweh, the UP’s secretary general.
Tweh noted that what the statement insinuates, in effect, is set against the backdrop of the terrible performance of the Weah government over the past years — complete disregard for “our Constitution and laws, excruciating poverty, extra-judicial and ritualistic killings, broad-day corruption, the KUSH-epidemic facilitated and enabled by Weah and operatives of his government.”
“This is the scourge that is essentially wiping out the young generation of Liberians and depriving them of a decent future,” he added.
According to Tweh, the rigging of the elections, which the UP believes the government is “highly contemplating as the only means of retaining power,” will place the country for the next six years in the hands of a “visionless Weah, who is not only incompetent but also wicked and corrupt.”
“This is the downhill slide and retrogression that would ensue as a result, tantamount to not having a country,” the UP Secretary-General said in his statement. “That is what JNB meant, and that is why he is asking partisans and supporters of the rescue mission to protect their votes to prevent our dear country from sinking further into the hellhole created by Weah and his cronies.”
“JNB is a statesman and a man of peace. In fact, despite repeated utterances and insinuations from the CDC and its operatives that they are entitled to a second term, hook or crook, and despite public concerns about the manner the NEC is proceeding, JNB continues to give the commissioners of NEC the benefit of the doubt,” the statement said.
Tweh cited an interview Boakai did a few days ago in Gbarpolu, in which the UP standard bearer expressed confidence in the National Elections Commission to perform the tasks they have been assigned.
“The seven commissioners of the NEC took an oath to serve their country, and I have confidence that they will do so honorably,” Boakai said. “They, too, are Liberians who want to see a better society. They have a duty to fulfill, and we trust that they will do it.
“Those who orchestrate the stealing of elections essentially wage war against the people and the Constitution of Liberia. Elements who may be planning to steal elections are those who really want to plunge Liberia into chaos,” the statement said. “Those who warn against the stealing of elections and urge their supporters to protect their votes are those who want peace and tranquility to prevail in Liberia.”
Meanwhile, Boakai and the Unity Party Alliance have called on Weah and all Liberians and interested stakeholders to commit to free, fair, transparent, and peaceful elections in line with the expectations of the Constitution and laws of Liberia.
“As a Party, we remain fully committed to the Farmington Declaration on nonviolent elections in Liberia. We are very confident that H. E. Joseph Nyuma Boakai will be elected President of Liberia based on his record of service and vision for the transformation of Liberia through Agriculture, Roads, Rule of Law, Education, Sanitation/Health, and Tourism,” the release said.
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