MONROVIA – The Vice Chairman for Political Affairs of the opposition Liberty Party (LP), Senator Abraham Darius Dillon, says the LP has not reached a decision to contest for the Standard Bearer position or lend support to any of its competitors in a possible pending primary of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP).
The LP is one of the political parties that make up the CPP. Other parties that are part of the CPP are: the former ruling Unity Party (UP), Alternative National Congress (ANC) and the All Liberian Party (ALP).
Senator Dillon pointed out that though in keeping with the CPP framework document the LP can proffer a candidate for the standard bearer position of the CPP, the party did not reach a logical conclusion to do so at it just ended retreat held in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County.
He made these comments when he appeared as guest on the OK Morning Rush on OK FM99.5 on Tuesday, June 8.
Senator Dillon disclosed that the retreat was a “self-evaluation” one intended to ensure a roadmap or way forward for the party.
He added that the party has not also endorsed any of the political leaders of the ANC and UP, Mr. Alexander Cummings and Mr. Joseph Nyuma Boakai to be the political leader of the CPP.
According to him, the party is “self-evaluating” itself to discover or make a determination on whether or not it remains prepared or has the charisma to also contest the primary for the standard bearer position of the collaboration.
He noted that to be redeemed from the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) led government of President George Manneh Weah, Liberia currently needs direction, and as such, the Liberty Party is in no hurry to take decisions.
“We believe that what happened in Buchanan over the week end under the guidance of the political leader of the party, the Chairman and the entire National Executive Committee and relevant stakeholders of the party rekindled the hope of the party and the partisans for the common good of the country”.
“We went to retreat to self-evaluate and to get at least a roadmap and a path to the way forward for the party. Are we fielding a candidate in keeping with the CPP framework? Are we going to listen to what the Liberian people want and be an integral part of getting the Liberian people to what they want? We want a redemption from this CDC regime and we can’t do anything to get off that path”.
Senator Dillon continued: “The party has not taken a decision to fielding a candidate or endorsing one of the competitors. That was made clear at the retreat”.
No negotiation
Senator Dillon pointed out that nobody, including the political leader and Chairman of the LP, Senator Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence and Musa Bility respectively, has been authorized by the party to negotiate with anyone for the standard bearer position of the CPP.
He stressed that in order for anyone from the LP to go and negotiate with any of the competitors of the CPP on the Standard Bearer position, the party in general must has taken a decision first.
“Every partisan has the right to engage with one another or if you want to influence people the way he or she thinks. We want our partisans to feel at ease that we are in a collaboration; we should feel free to engage UP, ALP, and ANC, not when you see me going to Cummings then you say what Dillon go do there, or when I go to (Joseph) Boakai and sit on the ground traditionally you say whole lot of stuff. We want to do it with credibility and integrity”.
Setting up team
Senator Dillon pointed out that the National Executive Committee of the LP will formally announce its decision and name a team that will engage other parties based on a formal process.
“At the appropriate time the party (LP) through the appropriate structure will announce the position of the party and then we will announce a team that supposed to engage with other parties formally”.
According to him, a clear scope or mandate will be given to the team to guide the process of engaging or negotiating with anyone, noting that, “you can’t go outside of the mandate of the party and we want to make sure we do it correctly but with the greatest and best interest of the country”.
He emphasized that the LP hopes to change the CDC regime to “something better” that will be in the interest of the Liberian people.
“If we want to change George Weah and his people to do the same thing or worse, than there are no need to put the Liberian people in this headache”.
Commitment
Speaking further, Senator Dillon bragged that since the founding of the Liberty Party there has been no time that documented decisions have been taken by the party and turned down by its officials.
According to him, the party decides the common good of the country first and as such, it remains sincere and committed towards the collaboration with the three other opposition political parties even though things will not move on smoothly all the times.
He noted that though it is not common for political parties to form an alliance or collaboration and stay together, the LP remains committed to the collaboration to ensure that the Weah led-government does not exist come 2023.
Better ticket
Senator Dillon used the occasion to commend the political leaders of the various parties for resolving to hold together for the common good of Liberia and its citizens.
He indicated that the ticket that will be proffered by the CPP during the 2023 general and presidential elections should not just be a winnable ticket, but it should be a ticket that can “govern better and differently”.