MONROVIA – Delivering his post-election statement in the just-ended Lofa by-election, the political leader and standard bearer of the opposition Alternative National Congress (ANC), Alexander Benedict Cummings says after five years of governing Liberia, the Weah-led administration can only remember for “Five Years of Lies and Stealing”.
In a post-election statement delivered on Tuesday, July 5, 2022 in Monrovia, Mr. Cummings first congratulated the people of Lofa County for the peaceful conduct of the election of a new senator for their county. “We ask that you maintain the peace even if your candidate did not win. I also thank all of the candidates who contested in the hope of serving their people and county.”
Mr. Cummings noted after 5 years of leadership of the country, the ruling CDC could not run in Lofa in its own name and on its own record. “When one cannot stand on what one has done, one has to know that he or she has done nothing good enough on which to stand to run.”
The ANC political leader and standard bearer stressed that “President Weah knows that he has failed the Liberian people. The CDC knows that President Weah and his friends have failed the Liberian people. President Weah and the CDC are right to be ashamed of their 5 years of leadership of our country – 5 years of lies and stealing, and 5 years of a few government officials making themselves rich while Liberians have continued to suffer. President Weah and the CDC did not win in Lofa – the people of Lofa won.”
Commenting on the result of the Lofa County by-election, Mr. Cummings reminded the opposition bloc that the result of the election in Lofa is an important reminder to the opposition community. “However we try to interpret the results, one message to all of us who desire change in our country should be clear: Together, we are stronger. The Liberian people have shown us that they are more willing to trust us if we are together.”
He stated in 2020, together and under the leadership of the CPP, the opposition won. The CPP itself won 6 senatorial seats in the Midterm Elections including in the so-called CDC stronghold of Montserrado and supported five other successful candidates. The ruling CDC fought and spent as much as they could but the opposition victories could not be denied.
But cautioned the opposition bloc: “Yes, Liberians want change. Yes, people are suffering. And yes, things are only getting worse. But Liberians are also tired of the division and disunity. People want us to move forward – boldly, differently and reconciled. Liberians do not just want a change of individuals – our people want a change in the system, which for too long, has kept our country corrupt, and our people poor.”
The ANC strongman indicated how his heart bleeds for his country after five years under the Weah’s administration. “The truth is that my heart bleeds to see where our country is, how Liberians continue to suffer, and how President Weah and his government have continued to dig our country deeper and deeper into a terrible hole. President Weah can spend his time playing around and dancing but it will not change the fact that lifting our country out of the Weah hole will require hard work and collective effort.”
See below Mr. Cummings Full Statement
“My fellow Liberians:
On behalf of the CPP, I congratulate the people of Lofa County for the peaceful conduct of the election of a new senator for their county.
We ask that you maintain the peace even if your candidate did not win. I also thank all of the candidates who contested in the hope of serving their people and county.
Many Liberians fought and died for us to freely and fairly choose our leaders. This is why when people vote, we must do everything to count it correctly so that the result we announce and publish will be based on the actual votes of the people. Only the people must choose their leaders. Doing so freely and fairly is the essence of democracy.
Fellow citizens:
To have the Senate doing business regularly without the full representation of Lofa for almost two years was wrong. Every constituency and county must be fully represented in the government because the government belongs to all of the people. Therefore, as promised, the CPP welcomes the choice of the people of Lofa – the choice of Cllr. Joseph K. Jallah, who ran and won as an independent.
After 5 years of leadership of our country, the ruling CDC could not run in Lofa in its own name and on its own record. When one cannot stand on what one has done, one has to know that he or she has done nothing good enough on which to stand to run.
President Weah knows that he has failed the Liberian people. The CDC knows that President Weah and his friends have failed the Liberian people. President Weah and the CDC are right to be ashamed of their 5 years of leadership of our country – 5 years of lies and stealing, and 5 years of a few government officials making themselves rich while Liberians have continued to suffer. President Weah and the CDC did not win in Lofa – the people of Lofa won.
My Fellow Liberians:
It must also be said that the result of the election in Lofa is an important reminder to the opposition community. However we try to interpret the results, one message to all of us who desire change in our country should be clear: Together, we are stronger. The Liberian people have shown us that they are more willing to trust us if we are together.
In 2020, together and under our leadership of the CPP, the opposition won. The CPP itself won 6 senatorial seats in the Midterm Elections including in the so-called CDC stronghold of Montserrado and supported five other successful candidates. The ruling CDC fought and spent as much as they could but the opposition victories could not be denied.
Yes, Liberians want change. Yes, people are suffering. And yes, things are only getting worse. But Liberians are also tired of the division and disunity. People want us to move forward – boldly, differently and reconciled. Liberians do not just want a change of individuals – our people want a change in the system, which for too long, has kept our country corrupt, and our people poor.
In these results, both in 2020 and now in 2022, Liberians showed that they are no longer interested in political strongholds. Liberians want their country released from the economic stranglehold caused mostly by corruption and mismanagement. Our people want jobs, foreign investments, better roads, better schools, and better hospitals.
Our people want wages and salaries of teachers, doctors, nurses, police and other security officers, civil servants and other workers in our country to go up just like the prices of food, transportation, gas and fuel are going up.
Nobody should tell me we cannot increase people salaries because I know we can do it. We can do it if we stop the stealing and manage our resources better.
From Montserrado to Lofa, the message of the Liberian people is the same: Political strongholds will continue to fall in protest of the economic chokeholds Liberians are experiencing. People are right to demand improved living conditions, and assurances of a better future because Liberia is too rich for Liberians to be so poor.
Coming out of months of political persecution, when it was easier for me to be angry and want to get even with those who tried to spoil my name, I’ve decided to take the high road. I will continue to do so in the best interests of our country.
Also, rather than break up the CPP, with the Liberty Party, we agreed to keep it together. We believe that breaking promises to the people is not the way we will change our country. We will continue to keep the doors of the CPP wide open because we know that our country needs all of its citizens to work together to rescue it. To do this, as an opposition community, we need to put aside our personal grievances.
This is why, once again, I extend an olive branch of peace and friendship to all opposition parties, other CPP stakeholders, and the broader Liberian opposition community. I also ask for reconciliation in the Liberty Party.
The truth is that my heart bleeds to see where our country is, how Liberians continue to suffer, and how President Weah and his government have continued to dig our country deeper and deeper into a terrible hole. President Weah can spend his time playing around and dancing but it will not change the fact that lifting our country out of the Weah hole will require hard work and collective effort.
In many important countries around the world, people continue to love Liberia, but they have given up on the incompetent and corrupt leadership of President Weah. Therefore, the consequences of giving President Weah a second chance, to further corrupt and mismanage our country, will be very bad for the Liberian people and our country, and will take too long for all of us to recover from.
Already, President Weah and his administration have done more harm and damage to our country than many could have imagined they could do in 5 years. And even worse, President Weah and his friends have shown that they cannot and will not change.
Liberia deserves better. Liberians deserve better. In union strong, success is sure, we cannot fail.
God bless you. I thank you.”
