MONROVIA — Bomi County Senator Edwin Melvin Snowe has denied speculations that he plans to join the governing Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) of President George Manneh Weah following his surreptitious alignment with the Liberian Chief Executive, who campaigned against his ascendancy at the Liberian Senate last December.
Senator Snowe, who is a former National Executive Committee (NEC) member of the ex-ruling Unity Party (UP) won the just ended December 8, 2020 senatorial election as an independent candidate.
During the campaign period of the senatorial election, President Weah vigilantly campaigned for his party’s candidate, former House Speaker Alex Tyler and threw jibes at Senator Snowe over solar plates and rice he (Weah) gave to the Bomi County Senator for citizens of the county.
He accused Senator Snowe of using his items donated to run his personal campaign at the time.
Senator Snowe reacted by rallying scores of newly elected Senators to attend an appreciation program at the C. H. Dewey football field in Tubmanburg.
At the program, he promised to work with his colleagues from the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) to ensure that the right things are done on behalf of the Liberian people.
But for sometimes now, Senator Snowe’s comments and alliance with President Weah have been misconstrued by critics who think that he is planning to join the ruling party and support the presidency of President Weah as evidenced by his recent comments made during the Liberian leader’s county tour in Bomi and his recent trip with the President to Niamey, Niger for the inauguration of the country’s newly elected President.
“The young people of this country love you Mr. President and you love the young people. Even some of us that doubted your political ability to make things happened; you have convinced us on a daily basis that you are capable to change things around. I am very proud of you and we want you Mr. President to please continue”, Senator Snowe stated during the visit of the President in Bomi.
He continued: “Please Mr. President –when you make the people of Bomi happy-trust me, when you make the people of Bomi happy now, the people of Bomi will make you happy come 2023”.
But speaking when he appeared as guest on Spoon Talk on Spoon FM 107.5 over the week end, Senator Snowe pointed out that despite his latest assertions in support of the Liberian leader’s generosity and promises to his constituents which did not go down well with some of his colleagues in the opposition community; he has no intention of joining the ruling party.
He added that Bomi County and its citizens have been politically victimized, and as such, he will not hesitate to lead a campaign in Bomi if the “supermarket full” of promises made by President Weah to his people are actualized.
He stated that though President Weah vigorously campaigned against his senatorial bid, he cannot resist or reject the President’s offers intended to improve the lives of his constituents.
Senator Snowe alleged that the Liberian society is so “judgmental” that citizens do not sometimes listen or read with comprehension.
“Let me state for the record, I have no intention of joining the CDC. The CDC has not made an offer to me to join the party; the President has not asked me to join his party. I am not in any position to join the CDC. I do work for the government of Liberia and I want to ensure that the government succeeds and the people of Bomi County benefit from the envelope”.
“Bomi County for many years has been the victim of Liberian politics. For 12 years President Sirleaf-a daughter of Bomi became President of the republic of Liberia. For 10 years, my brother and friend Alex Tyler served as Speaker of the House of Representatives comes from Bomi County. Today, Bomi County cannot show you one project that they can boast of that President Sirleaf or Mr. Tyler did as daughter and son of Bomi County; or cannot show you something that the national government did substantial outside of County Development Fund or District Development Fund”.
Senator Snowe claimed that his constituents consistently said to him during the campaign period of the just ended senatorial election that they didn’t benefit anything for the past 10 years, because Madam Sirleaf and Mr. Tyler were allegedly “fighting”.
He added that the situation led to the massive defeat of Mr. Tyler in the just ended senatorial election.
“President Weah and I are friends. We had been close friends for more than 40 years of my life. President Weah and I were very close friends in 2005 when he campaigned for the Presidency and I did not support him; President Weah and I were best of friends in 2011 when he campaigned and ran as Vice President-I did not support him”.
“President Weah and I are best of friends and he ran 2017, I did not support him. But has that damaged our friendship-no. When we have politics, we go our separate ways and we do politics. Politics has never defined President Weah and I. He’s my friend. I respect the CPP and I have friends in the collaboration. But don’t judge me because I am fighting for the people of Bomi County”.
Senator Snowe pointed out that though the Liberian Chief Executive requested him to abandon his quest to contest the senatorial seat in Bomi County, he refused to do so even though President Weah is his friend.
He disclosed that his negative response made at the time prompted President Weah not to text or call him as a friend until the election was over.
“He (Weah) fully supported his candidate and he didn’t play games”.
Senator Snowe claimed that some of those from the opposition community castigating or raining insults at him for presently being supportive of President Weah’s developmental agenda also campaigned for their respective candidates in the Bomi County Senatorial election against him.
He made specific reference to the political leaders of the opposition Alternative National Congress (ANC) and All Liberian Party (ALP) Mr. Alexander Benedict Cummings and Benoni Urey respectively who campaigned for the county former Senator Sando Johnson.
“What right do they have now to question my relationship with anybody for that matter? I don’t understand”.
No commitment
Speaking further, Senator Snowe claimed that his assertions made during the recent visit of President Weah in the county have been misconstrued in the Liberian public.
He clarified that he did not make any commitment to supporting President Weah second term bid.
“I will answer this question directly, I did not commit. This is what I said and I want going to say this to you again; ‘If the President delivers what he said he will do for Bomi and my people, I will be excited; I will campaign and support him”.
Senator Snowe named some of the promises by President Weah during his latest visit to Bomi as the pavement and reconditioning of roads, the construction of a modern football stadium at C. H. Dewey, housing units, market building, Technical Vocational School, additional 50 classrooms at the Bomi Community College, hospital, and 20 housing units for doctors at the government hospital in Bomi.
He named the rest as the provision of US$2M microloan for marketers, scholarships, legal documentation to reactivate the Blue Lake to a commercial park for entertainment, the provision of a generator and solar lights and equipment for Radio Bomi, two brand new pickups for traditional chiefs, and the renovation of clinics, among others.
He vowed to support President Weah’s second term ambition if “even 50% of what the President says he will do” comes to fruition.
Senator Snowe pointed out that he will give similar assurance or comments if the leaders of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) go to Bomi and make related promises made by President Weah to his people.
Will not fight the President
“I am not from Bomi. My father comes from Grand Bassa County; my mother comes from Sinoe County. I moved to Bomi five years ago and opened a farm. I got engaged with the communities in Bomi. Three years ago, they elected me as Representative; three years later they elected me as their Senator. That election was a protest that for 10 years they had people at the House of Representatives and 12 years they had President of the Republic of Liberia and this person (Snowe) had gone to the communities and had integrated with the people and have given them hope”.
“Someone will expect that I supposed to be upset with President Weah because he campaigned against me. President Weah made no commitment to me that because we are friends when election comes he will support me. No, he has his party. So, someone now expects me to fight President Weah at the detriment of the people of Bomi County who stood up against their sons and daughters and supported me as their Senator”.
He said despite his stance, he and President Weah will go at loggerhead or hold disagreements if the need arises, but he will not go public with everything that happens between them.
No conclusion
Senator Snowe emphasized that though he remains grateful and hopeful of the Liberian leader delivering to promises made to his people, he has not reached a conclusion to join the CDC or any other political party even if President Weah or any hierarchy of the party reached out to him.
“At the appropriate time I will decide which party I will either align with politically or join. But I have not reached that decision. Notwithstanding, I do support the administration agenda and I want to see something happening in Bomi County”.
He stated that though citizens of the county were lured to a myth that when he is elected, development will come to Bomi, he remains excited that President Weah has made a developmental commitment to his constituents.
CPP commitment
Snowe Snowe promised to maintain his cordial relationship with his colleagues working in the Senate on the ticket of the CPP.
According to him, there is no reason to part way with his colleagues though he remains unbending and independent on expressing himself on critical or key national issues.
He committed that he cannot commit to supporting everything his colleagues from the CPP proffered at the Senate.
Meanwhile, Senator Snowe has denied reports of strengthening alignment with President Weah in recent times to be his running mate in the 2023 general and presidential elections.
The once flourishing closeness and friendship between President Weah and his Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor continue to deteriorate or more from bad to worse on a regular basis as evidenced by the fact that the pair has not been seen in public for a while.
President Weah is said to be looking in different direction for a running mate as the former governing National Patriotic Party (NPP) gets prepare to withdraw from the ruling Coalition.