MONROVIA: The presidential candidate of the Liberian People’s Party (LPP), Tiawan Saye Gongloe, has said politics is not about “enmity” or for politicians to see and treat each other as enemies.
According to Gongloe, politics entails competition of ideas or debates relative to issues that impact that living standard of the citizens.
He indicated that Liberia is not a trophy for any would-be winner of the October polls.
In this connection, Cllr. Gongloe calls on incumbent President, George Weah and former Vice President, Joseph Boakai to conduct themselves in a responsible manner during these electoral periods.
The LPP Presidential Candidate indicated that his call is aimed at safeguarding the peace of the country as opposed to anyone politician plunking the country into violence and lawlessness.
Cllr. Gongloe said Liberians have suffered so much during its brutal armed conflict that spanned more than a decade, and as such, the citizens are interested in nothing less peace and tranquility, during, and even after the 10, October, 2023 elections.
Gongloe, last Friday, August 11, 2023, appealed to the religious community, including Christian and Muslims, traditional, civil society, student organizations and leaders among others to speak out against the rising waves of electoral violence in the country before it gets too late for the country.
The comments of Gongloe, a renowned human rights lawyer turned politician, follow Thursday, August 10, 2023, bloody violence reportedly involving partisans and supporters of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), and the former governing Unity Party (UP).
The melee, reportedly involving supporters of the two parties occurred around the Vamoma House at Wroto Town and Tubman Boulevard Junction in Sinkor, Electoral District 9, Montserrado County.
There and then, scores of people got wounded from stones-throwing.
However, the CDC and UP blamed or accused each of being responsible for the violence.
Gongloe is therefore urging both leaders to exercise strong degree of leadership over their followers and supporters of their respective political parties not to drag the Liberian Nation into another round of violence or conflict that could lead to bloodshed.
He noted that the current waves of happening daily plus the raging wars of words between Weah and Boakai, and by extension, their die-hard supporters have the potential of putting fear in the locals and investors desiring of doing business in the country.
He said whether such acts of violence are in favor of Weah or Boakai, they should not support it in any form and manner, because by doing so shall undermine the peace and stability of the country. The former President of the Liberia National Bar Association reiterated that violence has taught Liberians bitter lesson.
“Every leader or partisans of political party should take into consideration that more then 300, 000 people died in the country during the course of the 14 years civil war. Therefore, they should not remind us of their followers or supporters engaging into violence,” Gongloe reflected.
The LPP political leader recalled his visitations to various political parties’ headquarters in recent time, thereby demonstrating that despite the disagreement amongst the politicians, politics is not about “enmity” or treating each other as enemies.
Gongloe further stressed that Liberians must jealously guide the peace the International Community helped to restore to the country.
He, at the same time, condemned the violence stating that those involved were reckless, irresponsible and insensitive to the country’s ugly pasts.
“Therefore both the present and past governing political parties owe it to Liberia and its people to make sure that peace prevail during these electioneering periods.
He insisted that no amount of police we have in the streets can do, if we the politicians do not speak out now on what is happening,” he noted.
