— As Liberia Presidential Election Heads for Run-off vote
IPNEWS: True to an Independent Probe Newspaper prediction, former Liberian Foreign Minister and Senator-Elect of Grand Bassa County, has endorsed incumbent president Goerge Manneh Weah ahead of the November 14 runoff presidential election.
Currently George Weah who is the incumbent, leads with 804,087, constituting 43.83%; while his main challenger Joseph Boakai obtained 796,961, constituting 43.44%. The divide between the two rivals is 7,126 votes.
In a prerecorded tape, Hon. Gbehzohngar Milton Findley stated that his decision was predicated upon numerous consultations with cross-section of Bassoians, including the county Elders, and Traditional leaders, opion leaders, youth and student groups, leaders of religious institutions, the Grand Bassa chapter of the Liberia Marketing Association, among others.
Findley appealed to citizens of Grand Bassa to support the reelection of President Goerge Manneh Weah, for much needed development initiatives, including electricity. Roads throughout Grand Bassa County, among others.
This week, the authoritative Independent Probe Newspaper predicted that Hon. Gbehzohngar Milton Findley would make a surprised unification with his longtime friend President George Manneh Weah owing to their three years of strong bond while serving as Foreign Minister, couple with their ties at the Liberian Senate.
Even though there might have been rocky roads between incumbent President George Manneh Weah, after he the Liberian leader vowed to fight Findley to the finished in an attempt to stop him from wining the Senatorial seat, yet IPNEWS that Hon. Gbehzohngar Milton Findley elaborate proximity to President Weah over the years might just be path for melting the fence of iron between the two longtime friends.
It may be recalled, Hon. Gbehzohngar Milton Findley was one of the first category of Ministers appointed by President George Manneh Weah, a Trust he enjoyed, earning an increased international acclamation and unwavering Political prestige which might set the paste for a victory in the October 2023 Elections.
The Bassa Senator-elect, on October 10, 2023, gained the admiration with an overwhelming Votes of the [Peopl-of-Bassa], the same people who gave Weah a winning command in the same Elections, signifying a thought of the Bassa people for a unification of Weah-Findley brotherhood.
Prior to this move by Hon. Findley, there were uncertainties for a reunification which stamp from continued bad-blood over President Weah alleged instruction to Chiefs and Elders to vote against Hon. Gbehzohngar Milton Findley prior to the October 10, 2023, over alleged refusal by the Ex-Foreign Minister to contest on the ticket of the CDC, including stands for total adherence of the Mineral Development Agreement (MDA) of steel giant ArcelorMittal which political pundits believed has undercut the passage of the Phase two Operations ArcelorMittal.
Additionally, the belief harbored by Gbehzohngar’s supporters that “Hon Vincent Willie, Hon. Janjay Baikpeh and the CDC fought their Political Leader” could place a blockage, if there were to be any reconciliation between Weah and Findley towards the November 14, runoff election.
Amidst all this, IPNEWS warned that the Senator-elect has to deal with the bad-blood between his perceive opponents including Representative Vincent Willie, Ex-Superintendent Janjay Baikpeh, Port Manager Civicus Bar-seegiah, Emmanuel Sherman, Gabriel Montgomery, among other that are believed have rigorously campaign for his defeat and reunite the Bassa-land.
On Tuesday, October 24th, Liberia’s electoral commission scheduled a presidential election run-off for November after results showed that the two frontrunners, President George Weah and opposition leader Joseph Boakai, had failed to secure enough votes.
Weah holds a slim lead at 43.83% of the vote, while Boakai has 43.44%, according to tallied results from 100% of polling places, the West African nation’s election commission said.
Commission chairperson Davidetta Browne Lansanah said the run-off vote would be held on Nov. 14. She said there was a record turnout of 78.86% of around 2.4 million registered voters.
The Oct. 10 election has been widely seen as a test of support for former soccer star Weah, 57, who was criticized in his first term by the opposition and Liberia’s international partners for not doing enough to tackle corruption.
On his campaign trail, he asked voters for more time to fulfill his promise to rebuild the nation’s broken economy, institutions and infrastructure, pledging to pave more roads if reelected.
Liberia is struggling to recover from two civil wars that killed more than 250,000 people between 1989 and 2003 and from a 2013-16 Ebola epidemic that killed thousands.
Boakai, 78, was Weah’s main challenger and campaigned on what he called the need to rescue Liberia from alleged mismanagement by Weah’s administration.
