Monrovia – Former Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia, Dr. J. Mills Jones, has insisted that he would contest the October elections, though a clause of the Code of Conduct may bar him from partaking in the elections as a contestant.
Report by Edwin G. Genoway, Jr – [email protected]
“We will resist that law, we don’t care whether it was approved by the Court of Pontius Pilate”
“I will contest and nothing can stop me from being a candidate in the elections come 2017,”he said.
Jones said the Code of Conduct was not approved by Liberians as such it cannot stop him from contesting the elections.
He made the statement while addressing members of the Movement for Economic Empowerment (MOVEE) at its headquarters in Monrovia on Wednesday.
According to him, he has done nothing wrong for which he should be prevented from running for the presidency.
“What have I done in this country for which they are after me like that? Have I done any wrong? Have I brought war to this country?
Have I sponsored somebody to bring war to destroy our country or is my name in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) report for participating in the war for which they are after me like this?” he asked rhetorically.
Jones sent out a warning to his political foes who he believes are undermining his political ambition.
“I am prepared for those failed politicians who have not done their homework but are in the act of spreading lies to our people that I am not contesting. “
“My fellow Liberians, I am a candidate for this elections so those who are spreading falsehood of me not participating are in error,” he noted.
Addressing thousands of thrilling MOVEE partisans, the former CBL Executive Governor described recent debate over the Code of Conduct as a direct scheme masterminded by its crafters to deny him from contesting the elections.
“We’ve done nothing wrong in this country for which we have been targeted by some officials of government,” he reiterated.
“From the day we started our financial inclusion policy at the CBL, we became a target for some government officials who felt that we did not meet their political plan.”
The former CBL boss said Liberians are not to be treated as fourth class citizens in their own country.
“We are all Liberians and we need to enjoy our country equally.”
“We are not going to allow ourselves to be treated as fourth class citizen in our own country; this is why they keep spreading lies to prevent me from contesting the presidency,” he asserted.
Dr. Jones concluded his two-term at Central Bank in 2016.
As political leader of MOVEE, Jones risks being barred from contesting the October elections as spelt out in Sections 5.1 & 5.2 of the National Code of Conduct which was recently approved by the Supreme Court of Liberia as constitutional.