By: E. Geedahgar Garsuah
MONROVIA: Since his defeat to former Representative Edwin Melvin Snowe of Montserrado County District # 6 in the 2020 Special Senatorial Elections, held in Bomi County, not much has been seen or heard of former House Speaker and Political Leader of the Liberia People Democratic Party (LPDP), J. Alex Tyler.
The conspicuous silence of former Speaker Tyler from the national political scene as the country fast approaches the much-crucial October 10, 2023 Presidential and Legislative Elections has not only bewildered ordinary Liberians, but has also caught the attention of an influential and powerful voice in the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), Chief Cyril Allen.
Cyril Allen, a former Chairman of the erstwhile National Patriotic Party who is currently Chairman of the Governing Council of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) has expressed serious concern as regards the whereabouts of former House Speaker Tyler.
Making known his observation over the weekend at program marking the official launch of LPDP Bio-metric Voters Registration (BVR) awareness campaign, Cyril Allen voiced out his worry over the conspicuous absence of former Speaker Tyler as the CDC galvanizes forces for the reelection bid of incumbent President George Manneh Weah.
“Where is Tyler?” he asked, “Tyler should be seated on the platform. We are going for election and we must ensure all members of the Coalition hands are on deck to guarantee us victory,” Allen asserted.
The LPDP is a constituent member of the CDC.
Birthed out of a tripartite political arrangement in early 2016, the CDC went on to win the nation’s highest seat with 65% of the total valid votes in the 2017 Presidential and Legislative Elections.
The two other member parties of the CDC include the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) of then Montserrado County Senator now President George Manneh Weah, and the National Patriotic Party (NPP) of Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor.
Prior to the 2020 Special Senatorial Election in Bomi County speculations suggested that President Weah was secretly supporting his longtime friend, Edwin Snowe, against Tyler’s expressed bid for the Bomi County Senatorial seat. The Liberian leader, since then, has not commented on said speculation.
President Weah and Senator Snowe’s relationship dates back to Snowe’s days as President of the Liberia Football Association (LFA).
The LPDP’s BVR awareness campaign program held at the party National Headquarters situated in Oldest Congo Town was graced by stalwarts of the three parties which include LPDP’s National Chairman, Moses Y. Kollie, Mulbah Morlu, National Chairman of the CDC, and Cyril Allen, Chairman of the CDC Governing Council amongst several others.
Serving as an official launcher of the awareness campaign, Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor advised citizens to resist financial enticement and desist from engaging in all forms of election violence.
“Please do not allow people to use you to bring violence in our elections, don’t be used to bring violence to your community,” VP Taylor asserted.
According to Madam Taylor, the Government of Liberia (GoL) under the leadership of President Weah is fully committed to the conduct of violence free, fair, transparent, credible and inclusive elections in October.
Up to press time yesterday, the whereabouts of Tyler who was removed from the lucrative House Speaker post during the erstwhile Administration for former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf remains a mystery.
