Monrovia – The standard bearer of the Alternative National Congress (ANC) Alexander Cummings has challenged Senator George Manneh Weah of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) to show up at the next debate to defend his policies he outlined in his campaign manifesto.
Report by Lennart Dodoo, [email protected]
“Let him show up in the next debate and let’s have the discussion in public.”
“Let’s see who can articulate, let’s see who is clear on policies. If you read some of what they said, it’s a carbon copy of what we’ve been saying around taking out wastes, around redirecting funds.
“So it’s the best form of flattery when somebody copies you; he copies me on one hand and criticizes me on the other hand, but I think the Liberian people can see through that” – Alexander B. Cummings, Standard Bearer, Alternative National Congress
For Cummings, the policies preached by Senator Weah are just a photocopy what he, Cummings, presented during last Thursday’s presidential debate.
But Senator Weah who failed to attend the debate said upon his told his supporters that most of the policies proffered by his opponents at the debate were mere lies and should be trusted.
The CDC standard bearer in a Facebook post singled Cummings out, questioning the essence of managing US$80 million budget without it having any impact on the lives of Liberians.
Weah in his Facebook post wrote:
“I came in last night [Friday morning] by 12 AM and I heard my opponents deliberated issues at the debate. But I want to say this, no one at that debate said the truth, and I can defend it.
“I know you’re concerned but, but let me tell you, don’t be misled when people come to you and tell you that you should vote for them because they managed US$80 million budget for or a billion dollar company.”
“Those things do not work in our society. Managing US$80 million budget does not does not put food on the Liberian people’s table
“You managed $80 million budget, but it did not transform the lives of ordinary Liberians.”
“If I managed million dollar budget elsewhere and did not come to my country to help my people go to school, to help pay hospital bills, it’s of no use.”
It is not clear who Sen. Weah referring to, but many believed he was referencing Mr. Cummings who many believe performed exceptionally well at the debate.
Prior to entering Liberian politics, Cummings served as Chief Administrative Officer of Coca-Cola Bottling Company at its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.
On the 50/50 talk show on Sky FM on Monday morning, Mr. Cummings in a reaction to Weah’s assertion said, “Let him show up in the next debate and let’s have the discussion in public.
“Let’s see who’s articulate, let’s see who is clear on policies. If you read some of what they said, it’s a carbon copy of what we’ve been saying around taking out wastes, around redirecting funds.”
“So it’s the best form of flattery when somebody copies you; he copies me on one hand and criticizes me on the other hand, but I think the Liberian people can see through that.”
Cummings acknowledged that Senator Weah is a popular man and indeed had a very large crowd during the launch of his campaign over the weekend, but noted that Senator Weah is only popular in Greater Monrovia which was manifested last Saturday.
“We believe when you travel around the country like we have, I don’t believe you’ll see those kinds of numbers,” he said.
Cummings, however, cautioned Liberians and CDC those who turned out over the weekend to support Senator Weah, to look at the track record of individuals aspiring to be President.
“I assume everybody aspiring including Senator Weah has the right intention, they want to do good for our country, but I say to the Liberian people including the people who were out there yesterday you have to look at what the person has done, have they really run anything, have they run any organization – big or small?
Have they delivered any results, outcomes, outputs consistently?
Those are just facts, those are not just casting aspirations expressions against anybody, I just hope people will look at the facts – past behavior, past performance predicts future behavior, future performance.”
He added that Senator Weah’s consistencies in specular performance on the football pitch aren’t what are needed to lead Liberia, noting that “running a country is complex, running a broken country is more complex.”
He challenged Senator Weah of laying his achievement parallel to his through a debate for the public to judge who is more qualified for the presidency.
“Let’s look at results, lets lay out the records, what I’ve done both in Liberia for Liberians with my own person resources, not government or anybody resources and let’s look at what I’ve done outside Liberia; Senator played football – great football player for that matter – and I am proud of that as a Liberian.”
“I’m very proud of what he has accomplished on the football field. Let’s put debate aside and look at the records, past records in any perspective and let’s compare.
Stimulating The Economy
Mr. Cummings went discussing how he intends rebuilding Liberia’s economy, noting that in additional to cutting wasteful spending in government and reducing the complexities in the taxation policies.
He criticized the Legislature for being one of the highest paid in the world though the country is one of the poorest.
Mr. Cummings called on Liberians to vote ANC representative candidates who he said have an agreement with the party that they’ll help implement the ANC policies when elected to the presidency. He boasted of fielding 68 candidates for legislative elections.
According to the ANC political leader, if the party does not succeed getting most of its legislative candidates into the Legislature, its government will put public pressure on legislators to ensure that their salaries are reduced to help stabilize the economy.
“We cannot be the third or fourth poorest country in the world and then our legislature among the top two or three highest paid in the world – that doesn’t make sense, I think they know that,” he said.
Commenting on the dwindling of the prices of iron ore and rubber as reasons for the slump in country’s economy, Cummings said while Liberia cannot control the prices of these major export commodities on the world market, it can exercise control over the value that is added to it locally which will help generate more revenue.
He added there is a need to enforce the Liberianization policy as a means of boosting the economy.
