Win or Not I’ll Stay Here - Ellen Tells Liberians
Forum
Monrovia, Liberia
Distributed by
The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia
The UP flag bearer who dispelled the rumors that if she does not win the elections she might likely leave the country indicated that the role she plays in government minus somebody else’s will depend upon how “we negotiate.”
According to Madam Sirleaf, it depends on the person who will be the president and that person will have the saying and not her. She said she will continue to work for the national interest and the Liberian people whether in government or out of government.
Madam Sirleaf who was addressing journalists recently at her Sinkor office in Monrovia emphasized that nothing can be achieved without peace and security and everyone must contribute to making sure that we keep our country safe.
She said there is a need to support the process of restructuring our security to enhance “the professionalization and institutionalization,” adding nothing will be achieved unless all of our people feel that they are safe and secure and “We are going to continue to appeal to the United Nations to ensure that the peacekeeping force which has helped us so much will continue to provide support to the remaining phase of the transition and the new government.”
The UP Standard-bearer also pointed our that security goes beyond military security; there is the issue of human security and human security involves ensuring that people feel that they have a stake in their society and that they have freedom from fear, hunger of which their basic needs are met.
Touching on the reconciliation, she said there is a need for reconciliation in our country because the long standing divide we have had in our society has never been fully and properly addressed, saying, “It has been used over the years for political gains and today it is coming up again.”
Madam Sirleaf lamented that “We hear talks about country versus Congo, Krahns versus Gios and Mano,” adding, “This is not good for our country. All of us are Liberians entitled to equal opportunity, social justice, the exercise of all fundamental freedom that is guaranteed by our constitution.”
The UP Standard-bearer who called on the other political parties to treat the youth in Liberia as a special case given the level of neglect they received from the past administrations, said “All we can do is to look forward to have an agenda and action program that gets Liberia working again; get our economy take what just responds to our people’s needs and reconcile us again.”
Madam Sirleaf who commended the Liberians for standing on lines patiently to vote, said in her view, peace, security and reconciliation can only be sustained when we have a robust program of economic reconstruction and development.
She also praised the candidates who took part in the elections, NTGL Chairman Charles Gyude Bryant, National Elections Commission, UNMIL ECOWAS and the international community for the job well done; writes Josiah S. Hallie..
