Home Politics For Holding Separate Meetings With Weah, Boakai: I Owe Nobody Apology …CPP Cummings Asserts

For Holding Separate Meetings With Weah, Boakai: I Owe Nobody Apology …CPP Cummings Asserts

by News Manager

By: H. Richard Fallah

MONROVIA: The Standard-bearer of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), Alexander Benedict Cummings (‘ABC’), says he owes no apology to anyone for his recent separate meeting held with incumbent President George Manneh Weah and opposition leader, Joseph Nyuma Boakai, at his Sinkor residence in Monrovia.

Speaking on Monday, October 30, 2023, in an exclusive interview with the Voice of America (VOA), Presenter James Butty, Mr. Cummings noted that he saw it worthy for both candidates to have asked for an audience with him, which set the pace on why the CPP should support them.

Mr. Cummings promised that he will, on Monday or Tuesday of next week announce the presidential candidate he will endorse for the 14, November, 2023 Presidential runoff.

Mr. Cummings noted that his support for any of the two candidates in the second round of the elections will be based on which of the two (2) parties is committed to fundamentally changing Liberia and most of all, the ANC`s Change Agenda.
The former presidential candidate believes that the results announced by the National Elections Commission (NEC) few days ago, do not reflect the true-will of the Liberian People, terming the just-ended October 10, 2023 polls as a fraudulent process.
Cummings noted that he and his team are trying to investigate and to understand what happened or went wrong, questioning his dramatic poor performance from seven percent (7%) in previous elections to less than two (2) percent in the 2023 elections.

“All the polls conducted in the Country showed that we were in a comfortable third place, and so, the result makes no sense to us,” Cummings maintained.
The ANC leader’s assertion comes as losing candidates in the first round of the Presidential elections have been endorsing either incumbent President Weah or Mr. Boakai of the opposition community.
Both Weah and Boakai were able to put aside the political differences by endeavoring to reconcile with Mr. Alexander Cummings, the political leader of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), as they seek his support separately for the upcoming runoff election scheduled for November 14.
President Weah who is seeking reelection for another six-year term earned a marginal top spot in the October 10 presidential elections with 43.83% of the total valid votes while his arch rival, former Vice President Boakai of the Unity Party came second with 43.44%.

To secure victory, a candidate must garner over 50% plus one of the total valid votes cast in the first round of the polls.
The presidential race in Liberia on October 10 marked the tightest contest since the conclusion of the civil war two decades ago.
Mr. Alexander Cummings of the CPP finished at 4th place, securing just 1.61 percent of the total votes in the presidential elections.
He took to his official facebook page the same Monday evening, saying that he was pleased to separately host both President Weah and former Vice President Boakai at his residence, at their respective request.

Cummings opined that the CPP will continue to engage both the CDC and the UP as they determine their position for the runoff, despite concerns raised with the NEC.

Going further, on October 25, 2023, a day after meeting both candidates, the CPP Leader listed twelve commitments for Parties seeking his support in the runoff election must fulfill.
According to him, these proposals will be discussed with President Weah of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and Ambassador Boakai of the Unity Party (UP) by a team led by Cllr. Charlyne Brumskine, the Vice Standard-bearer of the CPP.
The CPP’s demands include commitments to gender equality, promoting women’s participation in government, establishing a National Youth Service program and a loan scheme for business development, and addressing issues such as the establishment of a war and economic crimes court, constitutional review, judicial reforms, and decentralization of public administration.
However, despite the conditions laid-out by the CPP to both candidates, some political analysts are suggesting that Mr. Cummings could be in a ‘hot water’ with his ordinary supporters, if he goes contrary to their wishes.

One of the moments that may serve as a stumbling block to Cummings’ decision is a social media video in which the ANC leader was reportedly heard, making his fullest support to the opposition against the ruling party should there be any runoff elections.
Many are now watching to see if Mr. Cummings will hold to his previous comments.
When reminded about this same commitment by Mr. Butty, Cummings was heard saying that a lot has changed from the time he made the statement to current date, which indicates that no particular party in the runoff is assured of Mr. Cummings’ CPP support, not even the opposition community.

Interestingly however, other political commentators are of the view that commitments being made to the two presidential forerunners by defeated political parties and candidates are ‘just mere agreements, which implementations are not bidding but left with the will and pleasure of the winning candidate and his party.”

Another commentator said if Mr. Cummings and his CPP refuse to support any of the two presidential contenders (Weah and Boakai), he may be harming his own political future, as he and the CPP may one day need the support of other politicians to support its quest for real change in Liberia.

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