Following the December 8 2020 Senatorial Elections and National Referendum, President George Weah has frowned on Liberian electorate who rejected dual citizenship and other key Referendum propositions.
The eight-proposition National Referendum was held along with the December 8, 2020, Special Senatorial Elections (SSE) across the country.
Though the National Elections Commission (NEC) is yet to formally announce the Final Results of the Referendum, President Weah pointed out that it was disheartening for Liberian electorate to vote against the eight propositions as contained in the referendum.
According to the Liberian leader, children born to Liberian parents in other countries in the diaspora should not be treated like outcasts in their own home.
The Chief Executive, at the same time, emphasized that denying the dual citizenship proposal in the referendum is tantamount to an act of stagnation and discrimination against other compatriots who are born to Liberian parents around the world.
President Weah maintains that dual citizenship was good for the Liberian nation. He added that the rejection of said law during the December 8, 2020 polls by Liberian electorate was equally wrong.
Speaking over the weekend in Gbarnga Bong County, as he began his ‘Presidential Citizens Engagement’ tour in central Liberia, President Weah encouraged Liberians not to allow politics to undermine things that are important for their success and well-being.
“I proposed to you a Referendum, for your own reasons, you did not vote for it; that is your choice, but what I can say to you is, our children are all Liberians wherever they are,” President Weah declared.
President Weah: “The recent elections in Liberia, which were free and fair, informed the world that our country is on the right path in maintaining the peace and being on top when it comes to democracy.”
The Liberian leader stressed that ‘Peace’ is vital and as such, Liberians should stay on course in maintaining the peace.
According to him, for three years, his administration has done everything possible to keep the peace that ‘UNMIL’ left in the hands of the people of Liberia.
“Even though, our government has witnessed series of protestation, it did not result to war; we were able to amicably find a way forward. Fellow Liberians, this is the way we ought to go, let’s respect the rights of everyone, because where your rights stop, there where another’s man rights begins,” the Liberian leader averred.
According to him, Liberia cannot afford to go back to its dark days when the nation experienced fourteen years of civil conflicts.
He stressed that it is now time for Liberia as the oldest African nation to move forward.
Prior to the December 8, 2020 Special Senatorial Elections and Referendum, the government, through the Executive Branch initiated a campaign aimed at encouraging citizens to vote YES for all eight propositions of the Referendum.
The early campaign relative to the Referendum witnessed President Weah’s image on various planted bill boards across the country, urging citizens to vote ‘YES’ to all eight provisions in the Referendum.
However, political pundits and independent observers, then, viewed the early campaign by the President Weah as a gross violation of the election laws of the country and called on President Weah to remove said pro-Referendum billboards.
Some citizens and groups said the holding of the referendum was not timely, citing lack of adequate public awareness on the process.
President Weah further cautioned the citizens not to heed to politics, according to him, has never helped to change anything positive in Liberia since 1847.
“The only way we can move forward as a nation and people is to change those bad laws that are against ourselves; you cannot expect to have a change, when you refuse to change those laws that stagnate your progress,” President Weah asserted.
