Liberia: “Don’t Underestimate Me” – Cummings Vows to Make Weah One-Term President
Monrovia – The Chairman of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) and political leader of the Alternative National Congress (ANC), Alexander Cummings has sounded a caveat to the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) that he is more determined to ensure the CDC is removed from power comes 2023 presidential elections.
Report by Gerald C. Koinyeneh, [email protected]
Mr. Cummings, speaking at the ANC [also the CPP] headquarters in Monrovia following his return from the Southeastern part of the country said following the incident in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County, he and his team were more determined to make President Weah a one-term President.
“Don’t ever confuse my physical size; don’t ever confuse my temperate personality with a sign of weakness. “I am more determined, I am undeterred to ensure that we make Mr. Weah a one-term President. Let me also say that we will do that through the ballot box but he will be a one-term President,” Cummings warned the ruling Party while addressing a crowd of supporters including members of the CPP upon his triumphant arrival at the CPP’s headquarters in Sinkor.
‘Dismiss Superintendent Farley’
On Thursday, July 30, Mr. Cummings and his entourage including Rep. Yekeh Kolubah (District #10, Montserrado County) were attacked in Zwedru by a group people claiming to be supporters of the ruling party who were angry with their presence and demanded them to leave.
They were returning from the southeast where they had gone to celebrate Liberia’s 173rd Independence anniversary.
As part of their schedules, the CPP Chairman said they decided to stop over in Zwedru to meet with the CPP leaders and members in Grand Gedeh County when the crowd barricaded the guest house hosting them and began throwing stones.
“I am more determined, I am undeterred to ensure that we make Mr. Weah a one-term President. Let me also say that we will do that through the ballot box but he will be a one-term President.”
– Alexander B. Cummings, Political Leader, Alternative National Congress
The incident has drawn widespread condemnation from the public including the Grand Gedeh County’s Legislative Caucus. The caucus in a press conference, termed the incident as embarrassing and unfortunate, one that has painted a negative picture of the peace-loving people of Grand Gedeh County.
Also, prominent figure of the county, Samuel K. Doe, Jr, son of the late President Samuel K. Doe described the day of violence in his father’s hometown as totally disgraceful.
Another official, River Gee County’s Senator Conmany Wesseh, in a poignant letter to the President Pro-Tempore of the Liberian Senate, Albert Chie, called on the Senate to muster the courage and take the lead in establishing a lawful ‘order’ for the Legislature, especially the Senate, to prevent the destruction of the 17 years of hard won peace in Liberia.
However, Cummings blamed Grand Gedeh County’s Superintendent Kai Farley, a staunch member of the ruling CDC for orchestrating the violence and called on President Weah to dismiss him.
He said: “The other thing that I like to say to our President is that he needs to dismiss the Superintendent of Grand Gedeh County. This man was the architect of the incident that happen in Grand Gedeh. When he left our presence and walked outside because we told him that we were not leaving until we concluded the business for which we were in the county, immediately the rock throwing started.”
He continued: “He was responsible and in the 21st century, we Liberians should never accept that kind of behavior from a leader in our country. And so, Mr. President, if you want to maintain safety and security of our country, you need to get rid of the superintendent of Grand Gedeh County.”
Speaking further, he thanked the Legislative Caucus of Grand Gedeh and the public for speaking against the ‘barbaric incident,’ adding that the action against him and his team was not carried out by the majority of the ‘peace loving people’ of the county. He vowed to return to Grand Gedeh by the end of this year to continue the CPP’s engagement with the people, pledging, we will continue to be responsible leaders, we will continue to be responsible in our utterances because Liberia deserves better.”