POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS ARE gradually have picked up with the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) so far proving to have had the best of it in a massive rally that was void of violence or riot, quite peaceful and admired by even non-partisans.
SO WE EXPECT others to follow suit.
HOWEVER, OUR ATTENTION HAS been drawn to unsubstantiated trading of accusations by both the ruling Unity Party and the Coalition for Democratic Change.
IN A PRESS CONFERENCE, THE Unity Party accused the political leader of the CDC, Senator George Weah of being a dual citizenship holder – something that the Liberian Constitution forbids. However, not much evidence was provided by the UP to prove their claim.
JUST A COUPLE OF DAYS AFTER the UP press conference, the youth league of the CDC called a press conference in which they made some hard core accusations.
AT THE CDC HEADQUARTERS last Wednesday were three men who are known to many as criminals disclosing that they were hired by Mr. George Kailondo, Montserrado County mobilization chairman for the UP campaign team to cause commotion during the rally during time hired professional assassins would have killed their political leader, Senator Weah.
THE MEN COULD NOT PROVIDE any evidence to their claims, but said they aborted the mission because they realized that they continue to be used by top politicians and businessmen to carryout mayhem on poor citizens.
THE THREE MEN – ‘IVORIAN’, Moustapha and Long John told journalists they could not provide more evidence than the mere revelation until they were assured protection by the international community.
IN A SOCIETY WHERE THE majority of the population is easily incited, we believe these kinds of accusations without substantive evidence is irresponsible and must not be condone by peace loving Liberians.
WE EXPECT THE NATIONAL ELECTIONS COMMISSION (NEC) to call these parties to book with a stern warning of being very mindful of how they go about their utterances as they may have the tendency of altering the peaceful process of the elections.
POLITICAL PARTIES MUST BE REMINDED that of the Farmington Peace Agreement commits them to ensuring peaceful electoral process.
IT HIS HIGH TIME THAT WE AS nation grows along with our democracy, ensuring a politically matured campaign that will be issues driven and educative in the proffering of solutions to our many national challenges.
CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS, the Liberia National Police and the National Elections Commission must all get involved in ensuring that this campaign period is not used as a conduit for inciting the public.
WE THEREFORE CHALLENGE THE Unity Party to prove beyond all reasonable doubts that the leader of the CDC holds an American passport which should automatically disqualify him from the race and at the same time, we challenge the CDC to assist the police with investigation on its assassination allegation. In the case where they’re able to provide the necessary evidence, we hope the police will publicly clear the names of those linked to this grave allegation.