Margibi County – Margibi County Senator and independent Presidential candidate Oscar A. Cooper has frowned at the Deepening Democracy Coalition (DDC) for excluding him and other Presidential candidates from the planned second round of the Presidential debate.
The Deepening Democracy Coalition (DDC) is the organizers of the first Presidential debate that served invitation to the first top six candidates including the Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine of Liberty Party (LP), Senator George Menneh Weah of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), Vice President Joseph Boakai of the governing Unity Party (UP), Benoni Wilfred Urey of the All Liberia Party (ALP), Dr. Joseph Mills Jones of the Movement for Economic Empowerment (MOVEE) and Alexander Benedict Cummings of the Alternative National Congress (ANC).
Attorney Lamii Kpargoi, the Executive Director of the Deepening Democracy Coalition or DDC has announced the next and perhaps the final round of the Presidential debate scheduled to be held on Tuesday, September 26, 2017 at the Paynesville City Hall outside of Monrovia.
Independent Presidential candidate Senator Oscar A. Cooper speaking with reporters on Thursday, September 21, 2017 at his campaign office in Kakata, Margibi County termed as unfair and undemocratic the exclusion of him and others Presidential candidates from the public interaction with the selection of those previously invited to the first round of the Presidential debate.
Senator Cooper said: “Every candidate that has been approved by the National Elections Commission to contest must have the opportunity to tell the people of Liberia their platform, but if you select a few then it is not democratic.”
“So for that reason, we are saying that this particular debate is not like John Kollie debate, John Kollie invites everybody that is fairness, that is transparency because the people of this country, whether you get money or you don’t get money, the people must have the opportunity to listen to their candidates to see what their platforms or visions they have for this country” Senator Cooper noted.
He asserted that the selection of few candidates allegedly on the basic of wealth and or being considered as top candidates in the elections is intended to deny the Liberian people the opportunity to listen to all the Presidential candidates contesting in the October 10, 2017 representatives and Presidential elections.
Senator Cooper wonders why the Deepening Democracy Coalition (DDC) chose to exclude him despite is status as a sitting Liberian senator that was elected with 36 thousands votes as compare to some of those selected for the debate that have no history of obtaining elective position in Liberia.
He boasted that he is more prepared and has Margibi County as his constituent than some of the selected Presidential candidates invited for the debate.
Margibi County Senator and independent Presidential candidate Oscar A. Cooper in an anger tone blamed the National Elections Commission (NEC) for allegedly sectioning an institution to conduct a national debate that is partial in its selection of candidates.
Senator Cooper is however calling on the officials Deepening Democracy Coalition or DDC to reconsider its decision to involve the other Presidential candidates the final round of the Presidential debate scheduled for Tuesday, September 26, 2017 at the Paynesville City Hall outside of Monrovia.
He recommended that the National Elections Commission (NEC) should immediately stop the Deepening Democracy Coalition or DDC from proceeding further with the national Presidential debate if it failed to consider the inclusion of other candidates.