MONROVIA – A Representative candidate in district # 8, Montserrado County Samuel Dean has conceded defeat and extended congratulations to Unity Party (UP) candidate Prince Toles for being the presumptive winner of the elections.
By Obediah Johnson
About 14 persons, including incumbent Representative Acarous Moses Gray of the governing Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), contesting the elections.
Mr. Dean, who is confined to a wheel chair for life, participated in the process on the ticket of the Liberia Rebuilding Party (LRP).
He said though the National Elections Commission (NEC) is yet to officially declared Mr. Toles as the winner, tally sheets he obtained from his poll watchers clearly put the UP candidate in a commanding lead.
He attributed Mr. Toles lead in the elections to “the vote one, vote all” solidarity and mandate from the opposition UP.
Mr. Dean claimed that this was similar methodology which made Representative Gray to win two consecutive elections in the district.
“In elections, when you take side with the most popular institution, you stand a better chance of becoming victorious.”
Reason for defeat
He attributed his defeat in the elections to “social stigma.”
He added that with his rejection which was based on his current condition, it is now important to promote the Act that establishes the National Commission on Disabilities (NCD).
“Irrespective of the fact that I have the most intellect as evidenced in the USAID debate that was implemented by Prime FM, the people still saw an incompetent disabled in a wheel chair. Their key word was, I am a disabled. They were not interest in my output and plans.”
He observed that the electorates also never had time for his attractive social policy that could be used and quickly transformed into legislation to improve their lives.
However, Mr. Dean described his participation in the elections as a “great experience and a rewarding one.”
Voting for money
Speaking further, Mr. Dean claimed that Liberians continue to cast their votes for individuals based on financial inducement.
He stressed that this poor form of rendering political decisions continue to affect the nation and its people.
He said citizens continue to allow themselves to be “trucked” by failed politicians who have done nothing for their constituents, but were seeking re-election in the just ended elections.
Mr. Dean ascribed the defeat of Representative Gray to the “lack of participatory democracy and development.”
According to him, the incumbent lawmaker had barrage of incomplete projects, including the Camp Johnson road and City Hall Community projects in the district, because he allegedly failed to involve the people due to pitiable style of leadership.
“Even though a lot of people gravitated to him (Gray) because of the money factor, a lot of them still rejected him.”
Mr. Dean, however, congratulated Mr. Toles and vowed to work with him to ensure that the rights of persons living with disabilities are respected in Liberia.
He encouraged the UP Representative candidate to work with other like-minded colleagues, including Taa Wongbe (upon his ascendancy), to protect and promote the rights of disabled persons in Liberia.
“Majority of our tally sheets put Toles in a huge lead and he is the presumptive winner. I have done a congratulatory post for Prince Toles and I will go to his house or party headquarters to congratulate him in person. I will create an ally with him so we can better implement the act that establishes the National Commission on Disabilities (NCD).
Mr. Dean is regarded as a strong advocate for Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in the country.
He has been on record countless number of times for calling for the implementation of Sections 5 and 9 of the Act that created the National Commission on Disabilities (NCD).
Amongst other things, Sections 5 and 9 of the Act call for four percent of PWDs to be employed in the public sector, and the allocation of three seats at the National Legislature for them.
Despite his strong level of advocacy, he has not been favored by the majority in district # 8, Montserrado County to represent them at the National Legislature.