Monrovia – As Liberians across the country prepare to go into the third post conflict Presidential and Legislative Elections on October 10, 2017 support for various presidential and Legislative candidates has been pouring in from various social and political groups as well as prominent individuals with the latest coming from human rights lawyer Cllr. Tiawan Gongloe.
With 20 presidential candidates set to vie for the October polls to end the 12 years rule of the country’s first female head of state Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Cllr. Tiawan Gongloe a longtime critic of the Unity Party Government of Madam Sirleaf in a very surprise move has stated that he prefers Vice President Joseph Boakai over all of the candidates.
Addressing a group of Judicial reporters at a news conference Thursday, October 5, 2017 at his Ashmun Street Office,Cllr. Gongloe stated that he has closely listened to many presidential candidates for the 2017/2018 Presidential and Representative Elections giving reasons why they should be elected president.
The human rights lawyer continued that some of the presidential candidates visited him while he met with some of them at their homes on invitation and also spoke to some of them through their intermediaries, while some have surprised him with the offer of making him a running mate.
Cllr. Gongloe who has been silent during the campaign period broke silence when he pointed out that he has decided to make public his preference for the presidential candidate whom he believe is able to strengthen the process of peace-building, reconciliation, reconstruction and stimulating the national consciousness of the Liberian people for a building of a better Liberia, a Liberia that all Liberians can say is “a glorious land of liberty by God’s command.
According to the renowned human rights lawyer, slogans often reflect the direction in which political parties and leaders want to take their country, and that he has heard slogans about change but change may just be about the actors and not about the actions and also change may be about actions, but the actions could be negative.
He claimed that for a political party to campaign on the slogan of change is not clear enough to persuade any critical thinker, the most persuasive thoughtful and visionary slogan that he has heard about in the 2017 Campaign is Joseph Boakai, “Think Liberia, Love Liberia and Build Liberia” which has the potential of stimulating the national consciousness of every citizen of Liberia because it is a direct appeal to the mind of every Liberian
“The slogan, “Think Liberia, Love Liberia and Build Liberia is a call to action for every Liberian to answer the question whether his/her thought and actions are in the interest of Liberia, Boakai has explained his slogan further by saying that Liberia cannot develop based on dependency which is true” said Cllr. Gongloe.
Contrary to claims from the critics of the Unity Party that presidential candidate, Joseph Boakai, has done nothing in his 42 years’ service in government to impact the lives of ordinary Liberians, Gongloe indicated that Vice President Boakai has lived here during and after the civil conflict and under his watch as Agriculture Minister Liberians could boast of food productivity.
While he has pledged his support to the presidential bid of Vice President Boakai, Gongloe has also called on those who support his view on Liberian issues throughout Liberia, especially the people of Nimba County, the land of his father, Bong County his mother’s birth place and Grand Gedeh County his adopted county to join him in supporting Vice President Boakai, a tried and tested public servant.
Cllr. Gongloe’s support to the Vice President’s bid for president comes a week after his sister and former Superintendent of Nimba County and a stalwart of the opposition Liberty Party (LP) had pledged similar support to the Vice President.
When quizzed whether being a critic of the Sirleaf led government and supporting Vice President Boakai was based on a pushed factor from outside forces, Cllr. Gongloe responded that he was not against the government rather against the behavior adding; “I am someone loyal to my country and to its conscious.”
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