Time For Honesty In Leadership A Special Statement On The NEC Ruling
Special Statement
By Alexander B. Cummings
Political Leader
Alternative National Congress
Monrovia, April 24, 2022: On Thursday, April 21, the Hearing Officer of the National Elections Commission (NEC) ruled that the NEC “is hereby prohibited from taking any further action on any endorsement form or other document regarding the fielding of a candidate” by the Unity Party (UP), in the Lofa County Senatorial By-elections, “…to allow the opportunity for the Honorable Supreme Court to possibly consider the constitutional questions raised…”
Even at this level of consideration and aware that the ruling is now a subject of an appeal, it still represents an important victory for the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), and the Liberian people. I have often reminded my fellow Liberians that we cannot do the same things over and over, and still hope to get a different result. It is time to change so that leaders are held to higher standards of public accountability, and we act to preserve the rule of law.
It was impossible to ignore the wholly false and deceptive representation to the NEC that the Unity Party (UP) and the All Liberian Party (ALP) “did not sign” the Framework Agreement of the CPP, cannot therefore be bound by its provisions, and that the framework document was a “product of fraud.” Our silence and inaction would have represented this falsehood to be true, to both the NEC and the Liberian people, when not only do we know this to be misleading, but those who made such claims knew them to be false.
The Alternative National Congress (ANC) and the Liberty Party (LP) were therefore forced into a public challenge of the UP and the ALP, which ordinarily we would have decided against doing. We remain mindful of deepening the distrust and disunity in the opposition community, which will only benefit President Weah, whose administration has irredeemably failed the Liberian people.
I am hopeful the alternative to the failed leadership of President Weah that the opposition seeks to provide the Liberian people, is one of honesty, which can only be measured by truth-telling, however difficult it may be. I remain convinced that is how we will build the new future for our country that we seek – a future of commitment to the rule of law, and away from the ongoing political corruption and thievery that have bedeviled our country for far too long.
I therefore welcome the ruling of the Hearing Officer of the NEC. I also congratulate the efforts of the leaderships of the LP and the ANC for the uncommon courage to call out and challenge the falsehood.
Let it be known: We do not fear contesting against anyone for a chance to lead our people. Liberians must freely and fairly decide who should lead them. That is how democracy ought to work. We will therefore fight untiringly to see that this happens. But we also have a leadership duty, which cannot allow us to be an accomplice to deceiving the Liberian people either by falsehoods or by breaking promises, in the name of politics.
I, Alexander B. Cummings, do not need to acquire political power by dishonor or deception. Even more importantly, I do not need to lead our people if it will not be to significantly change our country by uniting all of our people, ending the stealing by public officials, providing opportunities so that all Liberians have a chance to succeed in their own country, and remaking our society into a more just, equitable, secure and prosperous one.
Liberia deserves better!
Real Change is coming!
ABC
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