Monrovia – The year 2016 served the world two political and historical shocks that have the high potential of shifting the tectonic plates of world politics.
“All these politicians have been telling us the same thing over and over; they all have the same way of doing things. We need a leader who is not part of the status quo, one who will give Liberians the right message” – A concerned citizen
When David Cameroon took Brexit for referendum, he perhaps thought he was doing do so to win a decisive majority for Remain to settle the European Union issue and give himself the space to implement his legacy agenda of One Nation reforms to improve people’s life chances.
Instead, in a savage irony, the referendum exposed starkly what a divided the United Kingdom was.
The results showed the gulf between a liberal metropolitan class and working class people worried about immigration; between those doing well from globalization and those left behind and not seeing the benefits in jobs or wages; between Scotland and England; between London and the rest of England; between young and older voters and between the well and less well educated. And, of course, a nation split down the middle on the issue of EU membership.
So was also the case in the just ended U.S. election which many see as the most shocking and unlikely electoral victories in recent time.
Trump, during the campaign, was regarded by many, including President Barrack Obama, other world leaders, including leaders from Africa as everything wrong in one wrap: he was slated as a misogynist who boasted about sexually abusing women, egoistic, a charlatan to his critics, a liar, a racist, an anti-Muslim fanatic, a Hispanic hater, name it. But in the end, he still prevailed.
Politics in Liberia has always been unique in comparison to regional and world politics. This is evidenced by the election of Africa’s first female president and the only elected female head of state in Africa.
When most countries were still holding on the old time ideology that women were not fit enough to govern a country, Liberia, a nation just coming out of war with the strong need for a peace builder and a reconciling leader – one who could maintain the nation’s fragile peace, elected Ellen Johnson Sirleaf against the odds in a second round election.
The 2005 elections gave Liberians several hard choice alternatives for President. Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, soccer legend George Weah, Cllr. Varney G. Sherman, Cllr. Charles W. Brumskine were among the main contenders for the presidency.
George Weah who was long predicted by former President turned International Criminal Court Convict Charles Taylor as having interest in the presidency, was one of the favorites in the 2005 elections.
Weah managed to win the first round over Sirleaf but at a very slim margin and unable to attain the constitutional 50 per cent + one vote. His victory in the first round was probably due to his ability to draw the youth on his side – most of whom were classless and jobless.
As a country returning from war, the only glory they could celebrate was the soccer achievements of Weah who hoisted the national flag high on a very positive note with numerous accolades in the soccer arena while the country was only known outside its borders as a war-torn country.
Weah’s defeat in 2005 was grossly because of his lack of formal education, especially tertiary education at the time. His main contender, Mrs. Sirleaf is not only a Harvard graduate but had held several national and international portfolios.
The 2011 Elections
The 2011 elections was one of a kind with 16 candidates in the race. Opposition parties were determined to oust Sirleaf but Weah’s Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) was the only lead contender in the opposition bloc. Not believing in his own ability to lead the party to the polls, he stepped back, leaving the mantle with constitutional lawyer, Cllr. Winton Tubman.
While Weah was trying his new strategy to get to the presidency, many political pundits saw the move as one shooting himself in the leg. Unlike 2005, Cllr. Tubman failed to pull the popular votes in the first round.
Mrs. Sirleaf and her Unity Party led him 43.9% to 32.7%. Tubman immediately called a press conference, urging his supporters to boycott the runoff on grounds that the entire process was being rigged.
His tactics, whatsoever his reason was, paved the way for Mrs. Sirleaf to have an unprecedented victory in Liberia’s recent presidential election history with 90.7 per cent while Tubman lagged with 9.3 per cent. He was booted out of the party immediately after the election.
Sirleaf Out of the Picture
Sirleaf who many pundits refer to as the doyen of Liberian politics is now out of the picture for 2017 presidential race. Initially, it was believed by many that her absence will finally give way to Weah as the next best favorite. Alas, the waters have been diluted – even Weah’s CDC has been diluted.
The Prince Y. Johnson-led Ganta Declaration by opposition political parties which sought to ensure that the ruling Unity Party on which Vice President Joseph Boakai is contesting has become a mere leaflet.
In what some now term as a disregard to the Ganta Declaration Weah formed cohorts with the National Patriotic Party (NPP, chaired by Nathaniel Barnes) – the party that was born out of the Taylor-led rebel faction – National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL); and the Liberian People Democratic Party (LDPD led by ousted Speaker J. Alex Tyler).
With Weah, Barnes and Tyler now at the forefront of the Coalition – this major opposition bloc faces a dilemma on who leads the party 2017.
Charles Brumskine
Charles W. Brumskine of the Liberty Party (LP) – a two-time defeated presidential candidate is building up momentum ahead of 2017. Liberians argue that Vice President Boakai did not achieve much under the Sirleaf’s administration and that the tendency of him having an economic, infrastructure and social development plan for Liberia does not exist. While this remains the argument, Brumskine is a now a pretty good option in the opposition while the new CDC remains undecided on their leader.
Brumskine, however, is accused by many as being temperamentally unfit for the presidency as he has several outstanding issues to sort out with his kinsmen from Grand Bassa County.
Benoni Urey
Business tycoon Benoni Urey, also a tight confidant of former President Taylor, is confident of himself winning the presidential election. There is a widely held perception that Urey’s most of Urey’s wealth was unjustly amassed during regime of President Taylor when “accountability” did not exist in the government’s vocabulary. This perception has, however, not been substantiated. Liberians are yet to be convinced that Urey has anything substantive for the Liberian people.
Mills Jones
Alexander Cummings and J. Mills Jones both fall out of the political class, yet hold wealth of experience in management and administration. Jones counting his remaining days as Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia threw his hat in the ring for the presidency.
It was the move did not come as a surprise to many as it was easy to know that the so-called CBL microfinance loan scheme for poor market women and entrepreneur which he took nationwide was the bit he found more appropriate to pull those who had been yearning for financial inclusion to his side. As a political new comer, Jones had to catch the poor majority to his side. Did he succeed? Well, 2017 will determine.
Alexander Cummings
Cummings is a novice in Liberian politics. As usual, in Liberian politics, the negatives of a candidate are first researched before looking at the positives. However, Cummings reputation as a former vice chairman for Coca-Cola Bottling Company in Atlanta, Georgia is impeccable. Having lived most of his life out of Liberia, many Liberians find strange and annoying that Cummings who came from ‘nowhere’ would want to be president. Nonetheless, others hold the argument that it is better to have someone who has never stolen from the country but has his own money lead.
Macdella Cooper
MacDella Cooper, a former fiancée of football legend George Weah, is perhaps obsessed with power. At one point in time, she supported Weah with the hope she would become the first lady.
However, the super model-turned politician says she would contest the presidency to bring relief to the poor. Though women in Liberia are fighting for equal representation, the hard reality remains most women, especially those at the base, taking cue from Sirleaf’s regime do not trust their compatriots to lead this country to economic growth and inclusion.
Joseph Boakai
Joseph Boakai is fighting a tough battle. Firstly, he wants to rebuild the image of the Unity Party and second to draw a distinction between himself and Madam Sirleaf.
Being a typical native who has served government with diligence for years seems not to be enough to secure him the much needed votes for the presidency in 2017. Boakai will need to build a constituency at all levels if he is to win the presidency.
Augustine K. Ngafuan
From Finance to Foreign Minister, Ngafuan has all reason to want to contest the presidency – he has been so close to it to know what’s in it. Despite being a young and enterprising man, much is desired of him to build his political strength. He’s admired by many young Liberians who form the majority of the population.
However, Ngafuan has not been able to reach out to the youth at all levels. Political pundits request that he moves beyond the student politics and adopt a more holistic approach in addressing issues confronting the Liberian youth. But for some, Ngafuan’s decision to contest the presidency in 2017 is premature.
Samuel Kofi Woods
Atty. Samuel Kofi Woods is glorified for fast-tracking many infrastructural developments during his regime as Minister of Public Works.
His sudden resignation came as a shock. With his ambition to be President, Woods again became vocal on the government he served.
Many have questioned him why didn’t he speak when he was Minister and why did it take him so long to resign before exposing the wrongs in government?
As Liberians decide in 2017, one would not be surprised by the outcome of the elections. As Brexit, Trump’s presidential victory teaches us, the people are weary of the same old message and the same old people as one concerned citizen.
“All these politicians have been telling us the same thing over and over; they all have the same way of doing things. We need a leader who is not part of the status quo, one who will give Liberians the right message.”
Report by Lennart Dodoo |886 33 40 65 / 777 788 805 | [email protected]