"...This system of ‘weeding-out-the-internal-opposition’ sets a bad precedent for the kind of leaders such parties hope to bestow upon the nation.
It would seem a reasonable expectation that anyone who thinks he or she is popular enough to win the confidence of the Liberian populace in general elections against fifty other presidential aspirants should at least be able to win a primary within his/her own political party..." |
At last it has happened again!!
The Liberian Action Party has aggressively sidelined presidential hopeful Dr. Joseph Korto in favor of party’s favorite Cllr. Varney Sherman in a bid to head the party’s ticket in the October 2005 elections.
Only a little over a month ago, the Unity Party strangled out Economist Samuel Wonwi Thompson by violating its own constitution and putting in place financial requirements not approved by the convention, all in an effort to ensure that Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf got the party’s nomination.
This system of ‘weeding-out-the-internal-opposition’ sets a bad precedent for the kind of leaders such parties hope to bestow upon the nation.
It would seem a reasonable expectation that anyone who thinks he or she is popular enough to win the confidence of the Liberian populace in general elections against fifty other presidential aspirants should at least be able to win a primary within his/her own political party.
When party primaries are rigged it is evident that such benefactors, if elected, will do everything possible to rig national elections when he/she comes around for re-election.
I am convinced that primary riggers start off on an agenda to become election riggers. Liberians have to beware the monsters they create.
When an entire political party strays away from what should be the vision and agenda of the party and focuses on the personal whims, desires and ambition of a lone individual, such an organization loses sight of what is right for the nation.
We have to remember that if we allow our party stalwarts to dictate the agenda today………against better judgement……..we would have successfully created the monster the nation will not control tomorrow.
A word to the wise is sufficient!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Siakon Nagbe is a Liberian, Computer Programmer with Intellicon. He lives and works in Newport News, Virginia, U.S.A. He can be reached at siakonnagbe@yahoo.com..
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