Liberia prepares for stormy elections

Opposition plans common front

ByAda Anioji

The battle to choose a political successor to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is getting quite stormy in Liberia at the moment, The Difference checks have uncovered.

In one of the latest manouvres, as much as a dozen opposition political parties in the country are presently engaged in talks to afford them the possibility of presenting a common front that would vigorously take on the ruling Liberty Party in the 2017 presidential elections

Confirming the development, one of the leaders of the effort, the maverick former warlord and politician, Senator Prince Johnson recently told VOA’s ‘Daybreak Africa:’

 “We want continue our peace that we celebrated some time ago. We do not want to see violence. So we all met to discuss the issue how to collaborate and move our country forward.’

He also volunteered that at the moment, a technical team had already been set up by the cooperating parties to draw up the modalities for the collaboration.

The Constitution bars President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf from seeking a third term, but her vice president — Joseph Boakai — is expected to run.

It is not clear who this new opposition coalition would put forward for president. So far, the signatories of the deal have agreed to not “badmouth each other,” Johnson said. More details on how the coalition will work are expected in the next few days.

Other leading members of the opposition rally at the moment include some other leading politicians in the West African country and other associates. They include Charles Brumskine, Senator George Weah and businessmen Benoni Urey and Alexander Cummings.

Disclosing one of the reasons for the move by the opposition, Johnson said Sirleaf’s government has not done enough to fight corruption.

“Vice President Boakai is part and parcel of the regime that has the corruption…so when Madame Sirleaf is going, he has to go. If he remains, we will vote him out,” Johnson said.

Addressing lawmakers last year, President Sirleaf said the government has made progress, including creating several anti-grant agencies. She called for “speedier trials” from the judiciary.