MONROVIA: The Presidential Candidate of the Liberian People’s Party (LPP) Cllr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe, has calls on President George Weah, Standard-bearer of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and former ruling Unity Party (UP) Presidential Candidate, Ambassador Joseph N. Boakai, to conduct themselves in a responsible manner during these electoral periods.
He said this would not plunge the country into another round of violence conflict because Liberians had suffered too much from previous civil wars.
Addressing a Press Conference over the weekend, Cllr. Gongloe noted that, the Thursday, August 10, 2023 violence that took place between supporters of the CDC and the UP around Vamoma House in Sinkor, Electoral District# 9, and Montserrado County that left several persons wounded is unacceptable.
He said both the CDC and UP blamed each other for the violence that occurred just on day five of ongoing campaign for the October polls.
“Politics is not about “enmity” or “making enemies rather a competition of ideas or debate of issues.
Gongloe contended that Liberia is not a trophy for any candidate to win in the October Presidential and Legislative polls.
He urged both political leaders to exercise leadership over their followers and supporters not to drag the country back into another round of violence or conflict that could lead to bloodshed.
Cllr. Gongloe noted that, the current wave of happenings daily plus the raging war of words between incumbent President Weah and Amb. Boakai, and by extension, their supporters, has the potential of putting fear in the locals and potential investors.
He said whether the violence is in either of them favor or not, they should not support it in any form and manner.
By doing so, he stressed, could undermine the country’s peace and stability, stating that violence has taught Liberians lessons.
“Every leader or partisan of a 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 in violence,” Gongloe added.
He recalls his visitation to various political parties’ headquarters recently, thereby demonstrating that despite disagreement amongst politicians, politics is not about “enmity” or making enemies.
Gongloe adds that Liberians must jealously guard the peace that the International Community helped to restore to the country.
“Therefore, both the present and past governing political parties owe it to Liberia and its people to make sure that peace prevails during these electioneering periods. No amount of police we have in the streets can do it, if we, the politicians, do not speak out on things that are happening now,” he warns.
He urged the religious community including Christians and Muslims, traditional leaders, civil society organizations and other peace-loving citizens to speak out now before it gets too late for the country and those residing within its borders.
