Monrovia – With Vice President Joseph Boakai set to go unopposed in the Unity party convention scheduled for Gbarnga this weekend, advisers of Boakai and allies have begun extensive discussions about who should be his running mate, seeking to compile a list of five to ten potential picks for his team to start vetting following the Gbarnga convention, sources have hinted FrontPage Africa.
Report by: Selma Lomax, [email protected]
Vice President Boakai’s team will grapple with complicated questions like whether Liberia is ready for the continuation of another Unity Party government for additional six years having ruled for 12 years, and whether his choice for vice president would be able to handle working in the Liberian senate, where 61 concession agreements were signed and ratified under Boakai’s watch as president of the senate.
While the nomination fight is still fluid, the vice president appears confident enough of victory that he has described a vision of a running mate and objectives for the search, according to campaign advisers and more than a dozen partisans close to the Vice President Boakai camp.
He does not have a front-runner in mind, they said, but he is intrigued by several contenders and scenarios. Among the names under discussion by Boakai, Senator Varney Sherman, the ruling Unity Party and advisers: Internal Affairs Minister Dr. Henrique Tokpa, Liberia’s Ambassador to the United States, Mexico and Canada, Jeremiah Sulunteh (both of whom are natives of Bong County), Harrison Karnwea, a native from vote-rich Nimba county, who represents a more liberal wing of the party.
Boakai, FrontPage Africa has gathered, has offered general guidance as his team begins the search: he cares less about ideological and personal compatibility than about picking a winner, someone who can dominate the vice presidential debate and convince Liberians that Boakai is their best choice.
According to informed sources, Boakai also wants a partner who is unquestionably qualified for the presidency and would help create the strongest contrast with his rivals, which could be dogged by questions about his rivals’ preparedness for the presidency, according to those interviewed. And he wants someone who could be an effective attack dog against his would-be rivals.
Boakai is likely to make his pick soon after the confirmation of his preferment as standard bearer of the party, according to Unity Party partisans close to the Boakai camp, and his political calculations in choosing a running mate may shift depending on whether those he regards as his contenders in the race pick their running mates from Bong, Nimba or Lofa counties.
If the Liberty Party, Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) or the All Liberian Party (ALP) pick a candidate from Bong County, Boakai might be more inclined to pick a vice running mate from Nimba, sources have told FrontPage Africa.
The vetting of top contenders will be led by party executives and advisors of Boakai, according to sources. The overall search process is expected to be overseen by Cllr. Sherman, party officials and Wilmot Paye, who FrontPageAfrica gathered, is poised to be announced as the new chairman of the party, and President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf will have a major voice.
Several Unity Party allies say that during the search, the campaign will have to reckon with Boakai’s high unfavorable numbers in some counties, which may create pressure to choose an inspiring figure like Dr. Henrique Tokpa, a rising star in the party. But Boakai’s advisers expressed confidence that his favorability ratings would improve in those counties once a vice presidential nominee is chosen.
And they and other party officials say Boakai’s options may expand if no presidential candidate comes from Grand Bassa, given Cllr. Brumskine’s popularity in that County.
“He will have a lot more flexibility in picking a running mate if there is no presidential candidate from Cllr. Brumskine’s Grand Bassa County, who appears a much closer contest for him,” said Robert Womba, Unity Party chairman in Bong County, who spoke to FrontPage Africa via mobile phone.
Most leading presidential campaigns start organizing their vice-presidential searches at this point in the race, when they have a sizable lead in delegates needed for the nomination.
But given the methodical nature of Boakai’s advisers, as well as the political passions of supporters of Boakai themselves, the vice presidency is an increasing preoccupation for many in the party.
“They’re fielding ideas for a running mate, and a lot of people are suggesting names,” said Womba, a close ally of the Boakai’s campaign. “I’ve made some recommendations, but all I’ll say is that governing ability and winning the election are the fits that they’re looking for most.”