Monrovia – Leader of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), George M. Weah, will today be announcing his vice standard bearer ahead of the October elections.
Report by Edwin Genoway – [email protected]
While Senator Weah has not given any clue of who is running mate would be, Bong County Senator Jewel Howard-Taylor who was a couple of weeks ago elected as standard bearer of the National Patriotic Party (NPP) is the favorite.
The NPP and the Liberia People Democratic Party (LPDP) headed by former Speaker J. Alex Tyler in November 2016.
Also eyeing the vice standard bearer position was Nathaniel Barnes who failed to win the confidence of the delegates at the recently held NPP national convention.
Former Speaker Tyler whose has been keeping his cool is also said to be ogling the position.
The Deputy Secretary General of the Coalition believes is sure of a first round victory irrespective of who emerges as vice standard bearer.
“We are going to sweep the election by winning the first round in October and the CDC is prepare to fix what the Unity Party government has spoiled,” Menikpaki Dumoe said.
“Definitely, we all will embrace the person that will be chosen by Ambassador Weah as running mate and I know our standard bearer will make the best choice,” he said.
Mr. Dumoe is the Secretary General of the Liberian People Democratic Party (LPDP), one of the three political parties that joined the Congress for Democratic Change that had given birth to the coalition.
LPDP Tyler’s Limited Chance
Former House Speaker Alex Tyler is the political leader of the LPDP and is among names that Ambassador Weah will select as running mate.
“Yes, our Rep. Alex Tyler is among those who supposed to be chosen by the political leader (Weah) as running mate, and if he’s not chosen we accept it and we will move the party forward,” he said.
The stakes are high ahead of the selection, as two others from the National Patriotic Party (NPP) join Tyler on the list of three potential nominees.
Senator Jewel Howard Taylor of Bong County and former Liberian Ambassador to the UN and the United States, Nathaniel Barnes are also eyeing the vice standard bearer slot for the coalition.
Political observers have rated the former first lady as the suitable candidate ahead of her competitors considering her feat in the December 2016 NPP primary.
Senator Taylor’s advantage put her in a better position to partner with Senator Weah after she claimed 332 (79%) out of the total 417 votes casted from 12 counties, While Ambassador Nathaniel Barnes, former ambassador to the United States won 71 votes (17%) and Rev. Hanniah Zoe earned14 votes (3%).
Howard –Taylor’s empirical advantage justifies Dumoe’s expectation about his political leader (Tyler) limited chance in Friday’s decision.
‘CDC’s Sweet Spot’
He described young people turning 18 this year as “CDC sweet spot” [who are] looking up to the party for better future.
“The young people do not have the ability to work with the UN or travel because this government has stolen from its people including the youths,” Dumoe said.
The CDC Deputy SG noted that the government has been poorly managed by the Unity Party and has created more suffering for the people they supposed to be protecting.
“They continue to put tariff on goods that they have no right putting tariff on, how can you have an environment whose leaders cannot carter to its own people but keep stealing from the country instead,” he noted.
He said the CDC believes that government needs no sympathy from the people, saying when President Johnson Sirleaf took over as President iron ore and rubber prices were high but government could not do anything to make the lives of the people better.