Monrovia – Liberia’s has eight days remaining to the historic presidential and legislative elections which will see the peaceful transfer of political power from one government to another democratically elected government in over 40 years.
Report by Henry Karmo [email protected]
There are 20 Liberians running to be the President that will take over the reins from President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and 988 people running to be lawmakers, some wanting to replace incumbent lawmakers while other are running for re-election.
Pres. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf made history when she became Liberia’s and Africa’s first elected female head of state.
The Coalition for Democratic change (CDC) in a tripartite arrangement with the National patriotic Party (NPP) and the Liberian People Democratic Party (LPDP) is a major challenger in these elections running to unseat the ruling unity party.
The Party, under its previous nomenclature the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) contested in the past two elections and ended runner-up to President Sirleaf of the Unity Party.
They also contested in two runoffs and were defeated by Sirleaf.
The CDC has maintained a strong bloc in the Legislature at both Houses (Senate and House Representatives), second to the Unity Party in number.
Many political commentators believe maintain a strong political presence in the legislature was the secret behind President Sirleaf’s successes in implementing some of her promised policies.
Unarguably any President of Liberian who wants to succeed needs to have the legislature by his or her side including ensuring that the speaker and the Pro-tempore are from his or her party.
Already sensing the Presidency, the CDC Vice President for Operations, Mr. Mulbah Morlu, who is a representative candidate in Montserrado County, has called on his partisans to support CDC’s legislative candidates by voting them into the legislature or they could stand the risk of having their political leader impeached.
Morlu believes with the support and endorsements for Vice President Joseph Boakai of the ruling unity Party, a House of Representatives with dominance of CDC lawmakers could provide a stronger resistance to the Senators who he said have taken a partisan posture.
Morlu said: “Lastly before I close, there are already 20 senators who have ganged to support Boakai.”
“It is clear that Weah is set to be Liberia’s next President, but we have a challenge in the senate and if Weah is to be your next President, as he is, we need a strong lower house to counter the senate.
“If you vote for independent candidate who are supporting the UP you are empowering our enemies who will fight against policies and programs of Weah as a President because it is possible that they could build up a gang and even impeach him as President and undermine his policies.”
Speaking of impeachment, Article 43 of the Liberian Constitution states that the power to prepare a bill of impeachment is vested solely in the House of Representatives and the power to try all impeachments is vested solely in the Senate.
When the President, Vice President or an Associate Justice is to be tried, the Chief Justice shall preside; when the Chief Justice or a judge of a subordinate court of record is to be tried, the President of the Senate shall preside.
It also states that no person shall be impeached but by the concurrence of two-thirds of the total membership of the Senate.
Judgments in such cases shall not extend beyond removal from office and disqualification to hold public office in the Republic; but the party may be tried at law for the same offense.
The Legislature shall prescribe the procedure for impeachment proceedings which shall be in conformity with the requirements of due process of law.
CDC Pre-victory march
Speaking furthered at the Press Conference Morlu announced that the CDC will on Friday hold a daylong pre-victory march and has planned to lock down Monrovia by over taking the Antoinette Tubman Stadium (ATS) and other parts of the city.
He promised that the launch will be one that would demonstrate strength and distinction.
“The Per-victory march will be the greatest gathering of humans in the History like the August 19 rally the Friday October 6 gathering will be the biggest and we will lock down Monrovia.”
During the CDC campaign launch, the streets of Monrovia were blocked with thousands of people from all over the city and its environs happily walked to the headquarters of the Party.
The city was locked down with no free movement of traffic as partisans and well-wishers of the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) took to the streets for the official launch of the Party’s ‘Two Million Man’ campaign.
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