Paynesville – Since President Ellen Johnson’s farewell speech at the United Nations General Assembly, followed by interviews with CNN and BBC, where she stressed that it is time for a generation change in Liberia, the political debate has been overshadowed by the President’s statements.
Report by Gerald C. Koinyeneh – [email protected]
The latest to join the debate is Montserrado County electoral district #8 incumbent Representative Acarous Moses Gray. Gray faces an uphill battle to retain his seat in the Legislature.
Appearing on Truth FM’s flagship radio program, the Truth Breakfast Show (TBS), Representative Gray asserted that President Sirleaf and VP Boakai promised to gracefully retire upon the completion of their second term, but, according to him the vice President reneged on their pledge; and his desire to contest the presidency has caused serious rift within the party that led to the exodus of key party’s stalwarts.
“They understood that after President Sirleaf, there will be the emergence of a new leader of the Unity Party,” he said.
“They thought that they would have a youthful and energetic leader that will lead the Unity Party into the national theater of the struggle. Unfortunately Joseph Boakai didn’t listen to that and chose to impose himself; as the result of the imposition on the ruling establishment, my friend Musa Bility left, Hon. Harrison Karnwea left, Madina Wesseh and many other left the party.”
He said it was due to the struggle for generational change within the party that also led to the breakaway of former Speaker Alex Tyler and Speaker Emmanuel Nuquay to form their respective political parties, the Liberian People Democratic Party (LPDP) of Tyler and the People’s Unification Party of Nuquay; adding that Nuquay’s only return to the UP because he was handpicked by the Vice President to serve as his running mate.
Without showing any evidence, Representative Gray claimed that the Vice President’s actual age is 83 years; not 73 as it is being reported; something for which he noted that Ambassador Boakai should not be voted for.
“The debate of generational change did not start with President Sirleaf alone. We initiated the debate as far back as 2004. She just chose to voice it out. It’s been there. Emmanuel Nuquay and Alex Tyler left on the doctrine of generational change. They felt that in the party they have made a decision that a youthful leader will emerge as the Presidential candidate, not VP Boakai, who pretends to be 73, but is actually 83 years old. If you add 12 years to that man’s age, what’s the guarantee? We don’t want to impeach a President on the basis of disability or medical deficiency,” he jibed.
Although President Sirleaf has on several occasions expressed her support for Vice President Boakai wanting to be her successor, the public sees little or no commitment from her in this regard.
From the inception of the political season, there have been speculations from the public that President Sirleaf is not supporting her vice President of nearly twelve years, rather backing a segment of the opposition bloc.
Her absence from the official launch of the Boakai’s election campaign in Monrovia and her call for generational change have added more magnitude to the public perceptions.
But when asked by the presenter whether Madam President was in support of his party’s Standard bearer, the CDC strongman averred that the President is in no way supporting any opposition party. He noted that the partisans of the Unity Party are complaining because the President’s statement is not in favour of Standard bearer.