October Elections to be a two-Horse Race? -Charlyne Brumskine Says CPP, Not UP, Will Round Off with CDC

MONROVIA: The Vice Standard Bearer (VSB) of the opposition Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), Cllr. Charlyne Brumskine, has expressed confidence that the battle for the Liberian Presidency in the pending October polls will be strictly between CPP Standard Bearer Alexander Cummings and President George Weah of the Coalition for Democratic Change. The CPP VSB said she based her premise on the fact that the CDC overwhelmingly defeated the former ruling Unity Party in 2017 by winning 14 out of the 15 counties, and that over the past six years, the UP has not convinced the Liberian people why it should be given another opportunity to return to power. She also added that the ruling CDC under President Weah has failed dismally to bring investments in the country, while healthcare, education and basic services remain in shambles; therefore, the Liberian people will have no alternative but to boot the CDC government on October 10, 2023, replacing it with a CPP government that will lead in accordance with the rule of law and good governance.

“Nobody should fool anybody. This thing is between us and the CDC. Now the question is: are you ready for change? So, we want to thank our CDC friends for opening the roads, thank you for maintaining the peace. But our people need jobs, they need food to eat, our people need quality hospitals, good education,” Charlyne Brumskine stated emphatically, noting that since Weah came to power there has been no investment that will create employment opportunities for our people, and that he is only concerned about building sports parks. “Now is the time to pack off.”

“We also want to thank Ambassador Boakai for what he did for the 12 years under Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. But we know that in 2017, CDC overwhelmingly beat the Unity Party, so we know the Liberian people voted resoundingly for George Weah in 2017 except for one county which was Lofa. We know that in the past six years, the Unity Party has not shown the Liberian people any reason to be given another chance,” Cllr. Brumskine said.

She made the assertions yesterday when the Founding Ministers and Pastors of the Liberty Party held an elaborate program and endorsed the CPP Presidential Ticket.

“I am so honored and overwhelmed to be here today. I am humbled because God knows, we did not have to be here. You did not have to take time out of your busy schedule to come, but you are here. I am grateful. To the organizing men and women of God, those who were friends, and brothers and prayer partners of my late father, Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine, thank you for not forgetting us.

“In 2005, when Cllr. Brumskine started his political career at the presidential level, he put God before everything. He was led not by his own desire to lead the country, but by a prompting of the Holy Spirit. He established relationships with many men and women of God in this country. He understood that our problems are not only political, secular, and carnal; but they are also spiritual. And unless God is at the foundation of everything that is built, we know the builder will build in vain. That is why he established this relationship with the church.

“Unfortunately, Cllr. Brumskine never saw his dream come to pass. But we who are people of faith understand that our ways are not God’s way. Our thoughts are not His thoughts. So, in everything, we say Amen to His will.

“Before I go into my brief remarks, I would like to acknowledge some very important personalities. Cllr. Kuku Dorbor who has been a sister and a friend to me; Mr. Suah who will be the next representative of District #5; Mr. George Wisner who is representing Mr. Alexander Cummings because Mr. Cummings had to fly out of the country to attend an emergency meeting.

“If you are here today, you came because you believe that Liberia is ripe and ready for change. If you are today, you know that your children’s future could be better. If you are here today, you are yearning desperately for the new Republic of Liberia. If you are here today, you understand that it will make no sense to stand where you are for another six years, or to go back a few years into the past. If you are here today, you believe that once upon a time, there was a man named Charles Walker Brumskine who provided an option, an alternative for the Liberian people. If you are here today, then you know that the Liberty Party, one of the largest institutions, came into itself in the middle of two political giants. In 2005, we understand that the largest political institution during that time was the Unity Party. They won the election. They had a standard bearer named Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf who was the darling of the West; who was a Harvard University economist; who had support from all over the world.

“If you came here today, then you also know that in 2005, the Congress for Democratic Change was a very large political institution that had a political giant as its standard bearer. The World’s Best, George Manneh Weah was a superstar. So, we had the CDC with an international superstar as standard bearer. We had the Unity Party as the internationally celebrated darling of the West. But then we had another institution which did not have a superstar. This institution did not have a celebrated economist. This institution had one lawyer from Grand Bassa County. But he had men and women like you who believed in the rule of law; who believed in equality for all; who believed that it does not matter your religion, your tribe, your gender, your education; but that post-conflict Liberia could get better. You are here today, I believe, because of the virtue, the tenets and ideology of Charles Brumskine and the Liberty Party.

“He has been gone for almost four years, but you are here. What does that say? That there is something about this institution that you still believe in; something that he left behind that your heart, your mind, your tomorrow is still craving. Liberty Party, you are still standing. You have been through more crises than any other political institution in the past few years. But you are still here.

“You all know that I was running in Buchanan City for representative, but this God, we don’t understand His way. He went into Bassa; he told Mr. Cummings to go to Bassa, that there was someone there. My story is similar to the story of the house of Jesse; when Samuel went to go and find a king, he went to the House of Jesse and told Jesse to bring all of his sons. And they brought out all of his big sons, the tall warriors, and they lined them up; and Samuel said, there must be someone else. And the father said the only son left is a small boy who is tending to the sheep in the field. When they called David, the prophet said he was the next King of Israel. I am not saying I am David, but what I am saying is that the one who they never thought would be able to carry the load, to continue the legacy is the one that God chose.

“What made Jesse brave was not his own might, but the grace of God and the prophets that were behind him. So, today, my men of God are the ones who are behind me. We do not know what the future holds. I cannot guarantee we will win this election. But I can guarantee you that if you decide that you have the same values, dreams and vision which Cllr. Brumskine had for the Liberty Party and for this country; if you still hold true, when you leave here today, you will talk to every man or woman who has a voting card. You will tell them that Liberia deserves better; that we have given the current administration six years,” she said.