LIBERIA: ‘There’s no joke in snake’s mouth’. That’s how the Liberian parlance goes, and is used when times are daunting, and man is pressed to deliver. The pending runoff election between the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and former ruling Unity Party (UP) has cast on each side of the political aisle a “do it or die” charge—to win and maintain power in the case of the CDC or retrieve into opposition and in the case of the UP to win and regain power or wait for another six long years in opposition. Consequently, none of them is taking chances; certainly not the incumbent Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor. She is a native of Bong County, one of the votes-rich counties, which her CDC won merely slightly in the first round. Given the critical nature of the runoff, she thinks her people can do better and while she was thanking them during a call meeting of her campaign team over the weekend in Gbarnga, Bong County for their contribution in the first round, Dr. Taylor also implored them to draw ever more closer by her side and give her the hugest chunk of votes possible. The Analyst reports.
In the initial days of the vote counting process by the National Elections Commission (NEC), Bong County’s numbers are low and it was like the entire CDC ordinary membership wanted to verbally mob Vice President Taylor for the initial poor showing. But as days progress, and the Bong votes triggered into copiously, folks started sending out kudos and flowers to her, because the CDC was turning overwhelmingly “blue”. The good news never ceased until the NEC stopped reporting on tallies.
When all 555 polling places of the central province were exhausted, it showed that of the total registered voters 234,787, the VP’s CDC got 77,184 or 43.91% while UP got 67,383 or 38.33%.
With the difference of some 9,801 votes between the CDC and UP in the county, Dr. Taylor thinks that is too close and too narrow and that Bongese, as the people of Bong County are fondly called, needed double up, to do something, lest they surrendered the covetous VP post to their neighbor, Nimba County.
Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor made the passionate appeal to the people of Bong County to over the weekend as she toured communities and districts to thank her people on the first victory obtained as result of the votes cast on October 10.
“I strong and passionately ask you, my people of Bong County, to stand with me for the good of the county and its people by to ensuring that Office of the Vice President of the Republic of Liberia is retained by Bong County in these elections,” she said. “I want you turn out in your numbers, as you have never done before, to vote for President George Manneh Weah and me during pending the run-off.”
She saluted the people for their resolve in standing by her in such a hotly contested first-round election.
While linking development to proper representation on the table of decision-making, the eminent Bong County citizen said the people of the County needed to learn one or two things from the people of the Southeast who, fully knowing the benefits of President Weah maintaining the presidency despite the differences they may have and the negative propaganda against him, still came out in their numbers to vote him massively.
“I have two messages,” he said. “Bong County should be like the Southeast. Southeasterners actually showed that George Weah is from the Southeast. Regardless of the negative propaganda leading to the process, the southeasterners realized that when George Weah remains the President, whatever plans they have will go through. So, they decided to give him all the support.”
She continued: “Bong County can do similar thing and I am sending out this message that where I sit, it could be another son or a daughter of the county. So, our people should realize that it is about Bong County making use of this opportunity that has come our way or losing it to another county, and not having development coming from the contact of one of us at the top of decision making in this country.”
She promised a new approach of engagement with the people wherein every stakeholder–be it youth, woman, elder, and student–will make input in what should be done for the betterment of the county, stressing the need to “enter into a social contract with the people”.
“Though being a citizen of Bong County does not mean my work should stay in this county but the majority of the work I want to do stays here,” the Vice President said. “If Bong County loses this opportunity, we lose the opportunity for greater development as well.”
She further made a clarion call: “My appeal to the people of Bong county is: regardless of the political party, status, social affiliation or any other background, it is all about Bong County. Let us build Bong county, first. My promise will be the same, that I will work for the people of Bong County, like never before to ensure that our people benefit
“There will be a social contract that I will want to sign with the people so that I will have a template to work with regarding what every sector county wants; what the youth want, what the women want, what the students want, what goes to each district, what everyone wants in the county.”
Responding to a question on what could be the disadvantage to Bong County if at the end of the day the county loses the Vice Presidency which she occupies, Madam Taylor, who served as two time Senator of Bong County, was direct in her answer:
“We will lose development. We will lose a place at the top table of national decision making. Who is going to sit at the highest level and say let us talk about Bong County, too? At times, when we are discussing on issues, President Weah will say but Bong County along is not Liberia, yet I always insist on what comes to my county. You will not have that kind of high lobbying power, someone who will go at the high table, talking to international people, to friends and all for that I have been doing for Bong County.”
She spoke about her legacy in the county when she served as senator at which time, according to her, she propelled the massive votes accrued by the CDC in 2017. She also spoke of projects she has been able to attract in the county using her position.
She praised President Weah for his nationalistic approach to govern and seeing himself not as a President for certain group or section of the country.
While acknowledged efforts in widening her base’s preparatory works towards the second round, she stated that she has been receiving encouraging commitment from the people of Bong County on the need to retain the VP position.
She mentioned Representative Moima Briggs-Mensah as one of the other high profile citizens of Bong approached by her to pledge support, and Senator Elect Johnny Kpehe who is being talked to get to on board.
VP Taylor said she will return to the county upon the official announcement of the campaign time for the runoff election to formally talk to the people, expressing the hope the 44,000 gap in the turnout in the last exercise must be something that will be addressed so that the massive support she needs will come through.