MONROVIA : The port city of Buchanan was again lit with fanfare and excitement as the Vice Standard Bearer of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), Cllr. Charlyne Brumskine, officially opened the party’s Grand Bassa County office, which event also coincided with the official commencement of the political campaign in the country. She used the occasion to rally Bassolians to take their destiny in their own hands and better their lives by electing a ticket that has a man who truly cares for Liberia, and a woman who has defied all of the negative characterizations to represent all of those who are denied a place at the high table because they accordingly don’t belong.
The program commenced on Saturday, August 5, 2023 with maximum fanfare as gigantic speakers blaring traditional Bassa music had the women, youths, the elderly dancing their hearts out, with the lady of the moment Charlyne smack in the center of things, dancing, thumping her fists in the air, clapping along with the citizens in a manner quite unlike the characteristic showiness of the regular Liberian politician.
“Welcome to your home. Today, the whole country is launching the campaign, which means that today, the official campaign season starts. I am on the ticket as the Vice Standard Bearer for the CPP. Two days ago, I received a letter from the National Elections Commission telling me that I am now an official candidate. It was on Thursday morning, I was in my office here on New York Street, and tears came to my eyes because it is a very historical moment in our lives,” the CPP Vice Standard Bearer said, as the crowd yelled her name: “Charlyne, Charlyne!”
I represent those who do not belong
Punctuating her statement with her own challenges faced since she accepted the post of Vice Standard Bearer to Mr. Alexander Cummings, Charlyne said the experience has been a God-send for her and all those who were told that they did not belong, that they did not bear the Bassa lineage, that they did not have the experience to aspire to greater heights in life.
“Not everything is about politics; not everything should be about war, fighting, division. But sometimes in life, God gives us a special moment. I want you to know, all of you who are listening, I do not stand here in my own capacity. I come to represent you. I am representing Grand Bassa. I am representing our women.
“Many of you who are here, somebody has told you in your life that you are not good enough, you do not belong, you are a stranger, you are a woman, you are young, you are too old, you are not educated enough, or you Muslim. There are people who will always tell us we do not belong. They told me I do not belong. They told me I am a stranger. They told me I am not one of them. They told me who I am to be VP, a woman. They told me, ‘You don’t have experience, your pa is not from here, your ma is not from here’; although my mother is indigenous Bassa woman; my pa is an indigenous Bassa man. You like it, you don’t like it, Brumskine is from here.
“They brought division. They said we do not belong. So, I want you to know. Those of you who they told you do not belong, you are not good enough, I represent you. I want you to know that we are coming to do a great thing for Grand Bassa County. If the Bassa people agree to elect Mr. Cummings, the first thing we will do, we will make sure to expand this economy in Grand Bassa County.
Our people are suffering too much. The government hospital does not have fuel, does not have drugs. And then we got people saying they are ones who own Bassa? What have you done for Bassa? Where are the jobs?” Charlyne wondered.
Liberia deserves a better leadership
Lamenting on the harsh living conditions of the people of Grand Bassa, Cllr. Brumskine urged the citizens to take their destiny in their own hands so that Grand Bassa County becomes better under a CPP government.
“Our women are selling in the streets; our mothers are begging for small money to send their children to school. It is not supposed to be this way. Liberians deserve better.
“I was never going to agree to be Vice President to this man if I didn’t think he had a good heart for this country. I want you all to know that the thing Liberians need most is a job. We don’t need any big politicians. We don’t want someone to tell us to come here because it’s your party. Cummings is a Liberian man who has worked for one of the largest companies in the whole world – Coca Cola. The budget that Coca Cola makes globally every year is more than Liberia’s whole budget. The man has been the chief administrative officer for Coca Cola, which means he is educated, the man knows how to bring jobs, the man knows who to lift people up, the man knows how to manage money, the man knows how to bring development. That’s what we need here. We don’t need anybody to come tell you that you don’t belong here.
“If this man can speak Bassa, is that what will bring jobs for you? If his pa is a Bassa man proper, is that what will bring jobs for you? Bassa people, they are leaving us behind because of divisive politics. They are leaving us behind. Vote your interest. Don’t vote for politicians’ interests. Don’t vote for somebody who will do a good thing for you.
“If you love the Liberty Party, this is your office. Don’t be scared to come here. You will have food here; you will have music here. This is your office, come every day. We will go from community to community in all of the districts here to make sure that the CPP ticket wins,” Charlyne stated matter-of-factly.