"How
Much Does My Vote Cost?"
(By Obed Dolo, MD.)
Please tell me Mr. Vote-buying Politician. How much do you offer for
my vote? A whole bag of rice or just a cup or two? Is it a sack full
of empty promises and blatant lies? Or your one night lavished campaign
party?
Heartman,
Bo-yo: The Ignorance Base Of This Criminal Ritual
(By Gbe Sneh)
In Monrovia and thereabout, he is called the “Heartman”;
“Bo-yo”, is what he is also known as in Maryland County.
But throughout Liberia, we know him as the one who kills for human
body parts purportedly used in sacrifice. The sacrifice is for any
of an array of selfish desires, notorious among them, sacrifice
for government positions.
Twenty-Two
Candidates On the Rush For The Presidency
(By Josephus Moses Gray)
In less than three consecutive weeks from now, Liberia’s
eligible voters of 1.3 million people will be deciding their country’s
and children’s future through what is expected to be an internationally
supervised free, fair and transparent democratic elections having
sailed through fourteen years of bloody civil war that destroyed ten
of thousands of innocent lives and led hundred of thousands into displaced
camps and foreign lands.
“Forward
Ever, Backward Never”
(By Gbe Sneh)
Universal suffrage confers on the people full participation
in government; it transforms the populace into “masters of their
own destiny”. That should be a given; what is not, is the statement
that follows. Freedom to vote must carry with it the inherent commitment
to remain forever engaged in the affairs of society. If we can harness
the energy expended during these campaigns, and apply same to keep
watch over how we are governed by those we vote into office..
Brumskine
Has His Day in Monrovia
(By Abdoulaye W. Dukulé )
Wearing A T-shirt and surrounded by thousands of supporters,
former senator CharlesW. Brumskine made his entrance into an Antoinette
Tubman Stadium (ATS) filled to capacity, almost in chorus, scanting
his name and waving under the scorching September sun. It was early
afternoon and it had taken us two hours to drive from Fish Market
in Sinkor to the stadium, where Liberty Party was launching its Montserrado
campaign. I cursed and cursed as traffic moved at snail pace. At 11th
Street, we stopped to get gas and that put us way back behind trucks
and pickups filled with T-shirts clad partisans, some hanging on the
side of vehicles.
Official photos of the 22 qualified candidates for the Liberian Presidency in the October 11 Elections.
Click the link above for photos of Presidential
and Vice Presidential Candidates in the October 11, 2005, elections
What is at
Stake for Liberians in the 2005 Elections?
(By Francis W. Nyepon )
Liberia did not just have bad leaders; it had a bad system of governance.
It perpetuated a culture of impunity, mismanagement, corruption,
discrimination and hopelessness. It brought us to our knees, and
forced upon us outcomes of authoritarianism, ethnic squabbles and
factional violence.
“Mrs. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf
Lacks the Credibility to Lead Liberia”, says Mrs. Tarloh Munah
Quiwonkpa
(By Winsley S. Nanka)
Mrs. Tarloh Munah Quiwonkpa, the widow of General Thomas Quiwonkpa
says that “Mrs. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf needs to step up to
the plate and level with the Liberian people about her role in the
1985 abortive coup” that left hundreds of Liberians dead including
her husband.
Harry
Greaves Steps Down From NTGL, Liberia Action Party
Harry Greaves, Gyude Bryant's Economic Advisor has decided to step
down from his position.
Who Wants
To Kill Weah?
(Forum)
Latest anonymous leaflet in Monrovia has created a pandemonium amongst
Liberians about an alleged assassination plan to eliminate Congress
for Democratic Change George
Countering
the Effects of Brain Drain Through Education: Suggestions for Liberia
(
By Sakui Malakpa)
Socio-economic pundits emphasize that the constant flow of skilled
human resources from developing countries to the developed world is
bound to deter the socio-political and socio-economic development
of the developing world. This flow, referred to as the “brain
drain,” is said to be orchestrated carefully by developing countries
which are greedy and insensitive to the plight of the developing world.
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Ellen Receives Endorsement From Car Washers In Monrovia
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Ellen
Johnson-Sirleaf - The Candidate For The Average Liberian With The
Requisite Training And Experience To Lead Liberia
(Issued by The National Communications & Strategy Committee
(USA) of the Ellen - For - President Committee)
Liberians are expected to participate widely in general elections
slated for October 11 2005. So far, the most dominant Liberian female
politician and Standard Bearer of the Unity Party, Mrs. Ellen Johnson
Sirleaf has led a campaign that emphasizes shared optimism and vision
about the future of Liberia. She has been consistent in fostering
a message of hope to Liberians offering herself as the most competent
candidate to lead the country at this time. With a rich resume that
includes prominent positions with the United Nations and the World
Bank, Mrs. Sirleaf would like to employ her enviable professional
experience and international contacts to rebuild Liberia while putting
in place the basic tenets of democracy.
The 2005
Liberian Election: A Test Of Liberian Common Sense
(By Tiawan Saye Gongloe)
In about three weeks, Liberians of voting age will collectively
choose one of the 22 presidential candidates to lead Liberia for the
next six years. Who that person will be is a difficult guess at this
moment. The difficulty of making such a guess is based on the apparent
confusion that the list of candidates has created. Never before have
Liberians being so confused about choosing a leader.
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Vivian J. Edwards
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A Celebration Of The Life Of Vivian J. Edwards
(
By D. Elwood Dunn)
Vivian J. Edwards, the second of three daughters was born to L. James Joseph and Helen Gaynor Joseph on May 19, 1915 in Brooklyn, New York. The Josephs were founding members of the new St. Philip's Episcopal Church on Decatur Street. Vivian attended Public School #44 and spent many happy hours as a child at the Brooklyn Children's Museum.
Education
and the Current Crises in Liberia
(By Moses Geply )
One of the underlining factors for the enslavement and manipulation
of the young boys and girls in Liberia by the various warlords for
the past fifteen years to serve as their killing machines is illiteracy
(i.e., “ignorance”). This category forms one facet of
what the late president of Liberia William Richard Tolbert, Jr.
regarded as the three major “enemies” of the people
and the state of Liberia in the 1970s – “ignorance,
disease and poverty” (IDP).
The
Last Kick Of A Dying Horse: Responding to Woewiyou's Aspersions
(By Samuel Ajavon)
As Liberians brace to go to the polls in electing their leaders,
it is apparent that there are individuals whose only intention is
to deprive Liberia and Liberians of distinguished and esteemed leaders
who have a vision for removing the country from the dungeon of poverty,
neglect, corruption and rot. One of such individuals is Thomas Smith
a.k.a. Jucontee Thomas Woewiyou, one time defense spokesman of the
National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), later Minister of Defense
of the so called National Patriotic and Reconstruction Government
(NPRG)
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Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf
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Ellen
Outlines Unity Party's Vison For A Better Liberia
I wish first of all to thank the Almighty God for continuing to
sustain us during this campaign period and the prior process of
conventions that took us throughout the length and breadth of our
country. I thank all of the Liberian people for the warm and enthusiastic
welcome which we continue to receive as we move around to meet and
share with them our vision for the renewal of our nation.
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UNMIL
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Security
During the Electoral Process
(
By Abdoulaye W. Dukulé)
Recently, a team of election monitors visited Liberia to assess
the political and security conditions of the country as it prepares
for the ensuing Presidential and Legislative elections. There were,
however, concerns raised by the advance team. These concerns centered
around the possibility of electoral violence, the increasing of
incidents of armed robbery, poor road conditions and lack of UNMIL
presence in certain areas of the country.
International
Experts to Manage Liberia for Three Years
(By Winsley S. Nanka)
In direct response to the failure of the Liberian government to
utilize the resources of Liberia for the benefit of the Liberian
people for the past 25 years, the international community will effectively
take control of government revenue and expenditure management systems
in Liberia for three years, under the Governance and Economic Management
Assistance Program (GEMAP).
There
are Men and there are Hustlemen and Scoundrels: The Case of Tom
Woewiyu – Part I
(By Ousman-Martin Tamba)
Truly, even in the face of the tragic circus currently playing out
in Monrovia, many good things seem to be happening in Liberia these
days. I am happy that many good people have been part of the national
mosaic and social movement that has brought our country this far.
For instance, people are beginning to take notice of the critical
need for democratic elections and a vibrant exchange of ideas in
the public arena and in newspapers rather than resorting to murder
and intimidation as a means of making a point.
Motorcyclist’s
Death In Gbarnga - The
True Story
(Forum)
Police in Bong County have apprehended a 25-year-old driver, Selekie
Kamara, for allegedly killing Lawrence Kollie of the Bong Motor
Cycle Union on the Wainsu- Gbarnga Highway.
Ellen Tops
Debate
(Forum)
The recent presidential debate sponsored by the National Democratic
Institute and the International Community held at the Centennial
Pavilion was won by Unity Party Standard bearer Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.
LAP Receives
Political Slap in Tappita
(Forum)
Electorate in Tappita electoral district number seven who are partisans
of the Liberia Action Party(LAP) have accused their party of what
they called lies and deceit leading to the many misleading political
information they continue to receive from the party since January
this year.
PAL Threatens
Media Block-out Against NEC, UNDP
(Forum)
The Publishers Association of Liberia (PAL) is concerned over the
continuous delay by the National Elections Commission (NEC) and
the United Nations Development Program, (UNDP), to settle advertising
bills owed several newspapers.
Revisit
All Concession Agreements
(Forum)
Liberians are once more preparing themselves to make another history
come October 11, 2005 as they will be deciding the fate of their
country through the casting of ballots in electing a democratic
government that will take the country out of the hook of bad governance,
abject poverty, human rights abuse and economic mismanagement.
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Presidential Debate
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Elections 2005: Another Debate
If recent experiences, especially the first two days of the opening
of campaign 2005 were any indication, putting partisans of various
Liberian political parties in the same location is potentially explosive
situation. This may explains the heavy security deployment of both
UNMIL peacekeepers and Liberian riot police around the Centennial
Pavilion and its environ during the first public debate among Liberian
presidential hopefuls on September 15, 2005. Hundreds, perhaps thousands
of partisans took over Buchanan and Ashmun streets, carrying posters
of their candidates, drumming songs on the sidewalks, while others
came in with mega speakers on the back of pickups, playing recordings
of songs for their standards bearers.
“George
Weah is not the Right Person to Lead Liberia”, says Mama Musa
(By Winsley S. Nanka)
Mr. Benedict Wesseh (Mama Musa), a former Liberian soccer star who
played for the Liberian national team, the Lone Star, and the Invincible
Eleven soccer club from 1977 to 1980, stated that “George
Weah is not the right person to lead Liberia at this time because
the country is engulfed in a system of rampant corruption and failed
institutions”. Therefore, he explained, “Liberia needs
a leader who can make an independent analysis of situation, and
select the best option given a set of circumstances rather than
the leader who would be heavily dependent on advisors for governance”.
Sustaining
Public Health Programs in Africa
Opening Remarks by Dr. Chinua Akukwe, Chairman of the Technical
Advisory Board, George Washington University (GWU) Africa Center
for Health and Security, Washington, DC - On the Workshop on Sustaining
Public Health Programs in Africa - Organized by the GWU School of
Public Health and Health Services and the Africa Center for Health
and Security, September 14th, 2005, Washington, DC
Hurricane
Katrina Disaster - A Monumental Leadership Failure
Natural disasters, ethnic strife, religious wars and violence have
been more frequent ever since the beginning of this century. Many
of us have vivid memories of the unprecedented disasters and rash
of tragedies that have occurred since 2001.
The
Herculic Task Of Re-building The Infrastructure Of The Country
(A Letter From Adolphus G. McCritty)
As I gather information via your website, or others on the world
wide web, I read about the candidates for the Liberian presidency
relentlessly quenching their thirst for this high office.
Finger
Pointing That Is Missing The Mark
((
By Gbe Sneh))
The history of humankind is replete with armed insurrections. Several
revolutionary wars have been waged in attempts to break the shackles
of oppression. Many have succeeded in toppling sitting oppressive
regimes for the better, and several others, for the worse. Liberian
falls in the latter category.
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Chairman Francis Carbah
GRC Acting Chairman
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GRC To Organize National Citizens Convention, 1000 Delegates To Attend, Says Governance Reform Commission Acting Chairman Francis M. Carbah
(
By Abdoulaye W. Dukulé)
One of the most important structures put in place by the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) signed in Accra, Ghana, in 2003 was without a doubt the Governance Reform Commission (GRC), which, short of constitutional reform, was charged with the task of looking at every aspect of governance in Liberia, carried studies and formulates proposals.
Mr.
Tom Woewiyu – Where is Your Apology?
(
By: Emmanuel T. Dolo)
I am responding to Mr. Woewiyu’s letter to Mrs. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf
for three key reasons. The first purpose is that his letter has
numerous contradictions. The second driver of this response is to
caution others against using Mr. Woewiyu’s claims for political
purposes because such use presents several dangers. Lastly, I hail
from Nimba County, where Mr. Woewiyu’s crimes not took an
unprecedented toll on our leaders but also adversely impacted the
youth of the entire nation for generations to come.
Alleged
Rampant Corruption At LPRC Unearthed
(By Josephus Moses Gray)
Former Liberian Finance Minister, Dr. Byron Tarr, backed by the
Center for Democratic Empowerment (CEDE) says he has uncovered what
he described as consistent financial theft at a state corporation,
the Liberian Refinery Company (LPRC) with government funds being
use for political campaign purposes by the entity senior managers.
Tipoteh
Promises To Deliver
(By Josephus Moses Gray)
The presidential candidate many referred to by his partisans as
the “only man on the ground”, Dr. Togba-Nah Tipoteh
has promised to serve the interest of the Liberian masses when elected,
come October 11 Presidential and Legislative Elections.
Let Democracy
Be The Winner
(By Gbe Sneh)
It is not unusual that the journey to the end of an elections campaign
period is always shrouded in uncertainty. Ours is not an exception.
The electorate is often faced with many questions, several of which
may not get answered before they cast their votes, yet they still
exercise their rights to vote, however cloudy the choice.
Ellen’s
Support Widens
(Forum)
Since the official launch of campaign on 15 August, the grassroots
support for Mrs. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Unity Party has continued
to widen in both rural and urban areas.
UNMIL Raises
Security Alarm
(Forum)
Two presidential aspirants, Dr. Togba Nah-Tipoteh of the ADP and
Prof, Alhaji G.V. Kromah of ALCOP, have expressed serious concern
over the statement made by a senior personnel of the United Nations
Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) that they cannot guarantee security in
the country; writes, Josiah S. Hallie.
Varney
Sherman Loosing Grip In Nimba
(Forum)
The breaking of the tradition of neutrality by Nimba County Superintendent
Harrison Karnwea thereby declaring support for COTOL’s standard
bearer Cllr. Varney Sherman and reportedly urging his fellow Nimbians
to follow suit is said to be hampering the image of COTOL in the
county.
Liberian
National Elections: A Panacea?
(
By Emmanuel Abalo)
The Liberian Presidential and Legislative elections slated for October
11, 2005, represents a major achievement and progress towards national
and regional stability for a country brought to its knees by fourteen
years of naked, factional and ethnic violence.
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s
Ascendancy To The Presidency Is An Inescapable Judgment Of History,
SaysYEP Leader
(Speech Delivered By Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, Organizing
Chairman, Youths For Ellen’s Presidency (Yep) At The Formal
Launching Of Yep On The Campus Of The University Of Liberia)
Providence has gathered us here today in order for us to participate
in an event that the chroniclers of today and tomorrow will never
forget if they are to do justice to the History of our great country.
We have come to launch an organization that intends to positively
shape the history of Liberia. Yes, we have to launch the Youths
for Ellen’s Presidency (YEP).
"No
Other Candidate Can Deliver What I can,” says Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf
(
By Abdoulaye W. Dukulé)
Since the 1970s, when young intellectuals launched the quiet political
revolution” on its campus, the university of Liberia has been
one of the hotbeds of Liberian politics. Students and faculty created
nightmares for every government and challenged every political leader
in the past twenty years. The germs sowed in the 1970s survived
through the war. And facing a crowd there is tantamount to the biggest
political test for anyone.
Organized
Confusion: Election Politics In Liberia
(By Brownie J. Samukai)
Monrovia became a panicky ground on 15 August when thousands of
youths and supporters of various political parties took to the streets,
without a clearer understanding of what was meant by the beginning
of the campaign period and what they were supposed to do. It should
not have been surprising when you have a highly illiterate population
(about 85%) among the nearly 850,000 urban residents, many of whom
reside in shanty towns where the unemployment rate is nearly 83.5%.
Survival skills include subsistence petty trading (of chiclets,
rock my jaw candies, etc.),
The
Probable Misapplication of State Funds by the Liberian Petroleum
Refining Company (LPRC)
(Press Statement Issued By The Center For Democratic Empowerment
(CEDE))
On Monday, September 5, 2005, the Center for Democratic Empowerment
(CEDE) convened a Press Conference to discuss “The Probable
Misapplication of State Funds by the Liberian Petroleum Refining
Company (LPRC): Implications for the October 11, 2005 Presidential
and General Elections”. The key presenter at the Press Conference
was Dr. S. Byron Tarr, a former Minister of Finance and a Columnist
with the New Democrat Newspaper.
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Campaign 2005 Posters and Flyers
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Elections
2005: Still Anyone’s Game
(
By Abdoulaye W. Dukulé)
Three weeks after the official opening of the campaigning period for
the 2005 general and presidential elections whence some 800 candidates
will be vying for the presidency and seats in the two legislative
houses, things have quieted down somehow. In the first days of the
campaign, political parties, notably the Unity Party (UP) of Ellen
Johnson Sirleaf and the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) created
a momentum but things now have fallen into a slower mood.
Making
the Choice: Only A Small Step In A Democracy
(
By Theodore T. Hodge)
Liberia has been independent longer than any other African country,
yet the country is about to enter a truly exciting stage of democratic
interplay --- Liberia is about to hold its first meaningful “free
and fair” elections in its national history. A great deal
of its citizens will have an opportunity to vote for the first time
in their lives, going down that wondrous path many societies in
the world take for granted: making free choices among genuine competitors
in national political races.
$1 Billion
Salary & Corporate Interest In The World Bank Thwarts War On
Poverty In Poor Countries
(By J. Yanqui Zaza)
Come October 2005 elections, could our newly elected core of officers
win the war on poverty by reducing corruption? Winning the war on
corruption would be a good start. However, they would also have
to navigate the influence of Wall Street's chief executives whose
yearly salaries have leap from few millions to $1 billion plus during
the last three decades (8/5/05, NY Times).
