Monrovia – At a meeting called at his residence on the Rehab Road in Paynesville last Thursday, Vice president Joseph Boakai told suitors who had come bearing a proposition of significant proportions with major implications for the 2017 presidential elections that he was not interested.
Report by Rodney D. Sieh, [email protected]
Aides from the Vice President confirm approach but say the ticket being courted is unlikely to happen; Executive Mansion source says meeting was called to address looming feud
In attendance according to sources were President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, businessman Musa Bility, Medina Wesseh and the Vice President.
The proposition, involving a play for a pairing of Boakai and the leader of the opposition Liberty Party Charles Walker Brumskine came on the eve of a weekend gathering in Ganta, Nimba County called by Senator Prince Y. Johnson.
The meeting at the VP’s house, according to a source who was present was attended by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Musa Bility, Medina Wesseh and the Vice President.
The Executive Mansion declined comment when FrontPageAfrica made contact on the weekend but one source clarified that the meeting was not designed to discuss a Boakai-Brumskine ticket but rather to actually settle a rift between the Vice President and Medina Wesseh and Musa Bility.
The source explained that the Vice President is uneasy about Bility and Wesseh who he feels are pressing the President to shift focus from him toward Brumskine.
Source: Meeting About Medina-Musa-VP Rift, Not Merger
Said source: “It was not a meeting about Boakai-Brumskine. There is a serious rift going on between the Vice President camp and the Medina-Musa duo.
That is why Medina was present because it was intended to settle the rift because the Vice President had complained. Otherwise they would have invited Brumskine also to the meeting.”
It is unclear why the VP has opted not to go along with the proposal and it is not even clear whether Brumskine himself intends to go along with the plan. But the Liberty Party leader has previously gone on record to dismiss any potential alliance with the ruling party.
“No, Boakai is in a different class. He is in the ruling party; we do not want to collaborate with the ruling party.
We need to beat the ruling party,” Mr. Brumskine told FrontPageAfrica in an interview earlier this year.
“You know it is so good for our country, because it is so good for our country, because we cannot as a people afford to sit by and develop another political hegemony. If Unity Party should win a third election in Liberia opposition will begin to crumble.”
Moving Away from Past
While Brumskine and his peers have been talking the good talk about coalition, putting pen to paper on a serious discussion amid a room full of egos has proved to be a daunting proposition which is why many of those eyeing the presidency continue to talk amid chatter that all political parties including the ruling UP are leaving no stones unturned in hopes of getting as much collaboration as possible.
But many political observers say aligning with the incumbent in an election that could be all about change and moving away from the past could be a complicated gamble and one even some Brumskine supporters are growing increasingly wary of.
Brumskine himself appear to agree. “Let’s negotiate on two things-we must walk out of that room with a ticket that the Liberian people can trust to lead them and a ticket that can win, once we accomplish those two things, we are ready to go.”
Backers of the proposed Boakai-Brumskine alliance, according to sources are hopeful that the pairing could raise needed cash in an election year seemingly short of money from all sides.
The Boakai camp has been on edge in the past few days following quotes attributed to President Sirleaf in which she is said to have stated that she will not endorse any of the candidates running for president.
Piah: President Misquoted in FP Article
But Press Secretary Jeronlimek Piah told FrontPageAfrica at the weekend that the publication misquoted the President and that Information Minister Lenn Eugene Nagbe had made a complaint to the publication regarding the assertions attributed to the Liberian President.
According to Piah, the President is already on record several times as saying she supports the Vice President’s bid for the presidency.
In the same vein, the President told FrontPageAfrica in a recent interview that collaboration will be key for any political party, including the ruling party: “I don’t think any political party can win on its own giving the number of parties.
So, if you see people negotiating, dialoguing it is because that they have all realized that some coalition has to be made for a particular party or parties to be successful.”
Some political observers say that belief could be the driving force between the push for a Boakai-Brumskine pairing.
The speculations are likely to eclipse last weekend’s meeting of twelve opposition political parties in Ganta, Nimba County for a merger talk.
For the foreseeable future, it remains to be seen how a play for the proposed Boakai-Brumskine chatter will impact the opposition’s push for a ticket to oust the ruling party from power as expressed by Senator Prince Y. Johnson, who called the weekend meeting.
“Our being here is simply to work in concert for the purpose of finding a lasting solution to Liberia’s mountain problems which being fully aware of, we need not enumerate.
Despite our diversity of political ideologies, there is still a possibility of placing all of our respective problems and views. What can opposition political parties do to rebuild and restructure the entire fabrics of the nation?”