Home Politics “Although I Never Won Presidency: My Platform Faces Discussion” -Tiawon Gongloe Asserts

“Although I Never Won Presidency: My Platform Faces Discussion” -Tiawon Gongloe Asserts

by News Manager

MONROVIA: Former Presidential Candidate of the Liberia People’s Party (LPP), Cllr. Tiawon Saye Gongloe, says although he did not win the Liberian presidency during the October 10, 2023 Presidential and Legislative elections, he won the political argument, because his platform is now before the National Legislatures, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, and Liberians have been discussing it for implementation.

Cllr. Gongloe pointed out that if he had been elected as intended to transform Liberia into a better country, he would have pursued the following ten objectives.

He named zero tolerance for corruption under his administration.

According to Gongloe, if he had been elected, within his first 100 days in office, a thorough review of all audit reports would have been done by the General Auditing Commission (GAC), for implementation.

“That review would have been the basis for prosecution or other actions consistent with due process. The administration would have commissioned routine audits including lifestyle audits of all public servants,” he stressed.

During the Presidential campaign era, “Because corruption is the major obstacle to the creation of a better Liberia,” Cllr. Gongloe developed a detailed 12-count prescription for combatting corruption with the caption: GONGLOE’S 12 COUNT PRESCRIPTION FOR COMBATTING CORRUPTION as an integral part of the Better Liberia Agenda.

Gongloe: ‘Corruption has been at the foundation for Liberia’s underdevelopment. Liberia that is the oldest independent Republic in Africa is currently much more underdeveloped than most African countries.

‘Countries like Mauritius, Lesotho, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, The Gambia, Botswana and even Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ivory Coast, next door to Liberia are more developed than Liberia.

‘Although, most African countries are affected by corruption, Liberia seems to be in the top bracket of corrupt countries on the continent.

Botswana, for example, at independence in 1966, 119 years after Liberia’s independence had a budget of US$3,000,000. However, because its first President, Sir Seretse Khama, was an honest leader and left a legacy of honesty that all succeeding presidents of Botswana have followed, by 2005, Botswana’s budget had grown to US$4,000,000,000.’

The main sources of Botswana’s wealth are diamonds and meat.
“Liberia could do better because it has diamond, gold, iron ore, uranium, amongst other minerals, a rich soil, a vast and beautiful coastal land and 43% of the remaining tropical forest in West Africa. Even if Liberia discovers petroleum in addition to the current natural resources that it has, the country is likely to remain underdeveloped, if theft of public resources is not stopped.

Under a Gongloe’s administration, the stealing will be curtailed in the following manner:

Asset declaration will be strictly implemented, with the President declaring and publishing his asset before being sworn into office.

In addition to the requirements laid out in Section 10.1 of the Code of Conduct of 2014, Ministers and all commissioned appointees shall declare their assets before their names are submitted to the Liberian Senate for confirmation and at the beginning of each year as well as upon leaving office.

All asset declarations shall be published by government for the citizens to be informed about their government functionaries, consistent with Article 15(c) of the Constitution of Liberia.

That the salaries and benefits of the president and all officials of government in the three branches of government shall be published online, and in the leading newspapers of Liberia.

That there shall be quarterly lifestyle audit of the President, all commissioned officials of government, and others as defined by Section 10.1 of the Code of Conduct of 2014.

Any official of government that interferes with the functions of the police or any law enforcement officer shall, upon summary fact-finding, be immediately dismissed.

Any official of government that undermines the independence of the Judiciary by influencing or obstructing its orders, decisions or judgments, upon summary fact-finding, shall be dismissed immediately.

Any judicial official or legislator who engages in any act for which an executive branch employee may be dismissed shall be complained to the legislature for impeachment or expulsion.

That upon the discovery of any unexplained or unjustified expenditure; the president shall, upon summary fact-finding, forthwith dismiss the official involved and turn such official over to the LACC for further investigation and possible prosecution.

That conflict of interest, as defined by the Code of Conduct of 2014, other statutes, and best practices shall not be tolerated at all.

That any government official dismissed for corruption shall not be reappointed to any position in the Gongloe government.

That there shall be no pardon for officials of government convicted for corrupt acts. Government is a place to serve and not to steal.

Gongloe, in his platform also indicated that he, as President, would have ensure absolute non-interference with the functions of the judiciary and the police.

‘Without an independent judiciary, peace will not be sustained, local and foreign investors will be reluctant to invest because their investment will not be protected by the courts.

‘The police would have enforced the laws of the country without fear or favor. There will be no selective application of the laws both by the police and the court.’

In the first 100 days of a Gongloe administration a bill will be submitted to the legislature to make interference with the judiciary and police by government officials a felony.

‘Reconciliation, national healing, and unity will be the cornerstone for the promotion and maintenance of national cohesion in Liberia. We shall pursue the principle that all Liberians have equal shares in the company called Liberia. Not even the president’s share is greater than any other Liberian. No tribal, social, or religious identity shall be a cause for discrimination or unfair advantage in gaining access to government services and opportunities.

The Gongloe administration should have fostered the building of an equitable, fair, sustainable, transparent, accountable, and merit-based society on the foundation of rule of law and respect for human rights. Employment and the provision of social services and opportunities for economic empowerment will affirmatively include women, the physically challenged, drug-affected youth and other marginalized groups. Deliberate effort shall be made to appoint women to at least fifty percent of all ministerial positions and as heads of fifty percent of all the autonomous government agencies, commissions, and public corporations as well as other presidential appointments.

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