Friday, October 1, 2010

SHOULD LIBERIA BECOME A ONE-PARTY STATE?

                                                          
T.Q.  Harris Jr.
Absolutely NOT! You say. And I couldn’t agree with you more. But how then do we prevent Liberia from yet again becoming a One-Party State?

To prevent Liberia from becoming a one-party State Liberians must wholeheartedly invest in Multiparty Democracy. That means we must give our time and money to support opposition parties that have good ideas for the country; otherwise, they will vanish, leaving only the ruling party to govern as it pleases. And where there is no opposition the single ruling party will resist change regardless of how ineffective, misguided, or harmful its policies.

To compete effectively in the upcoming election we need your financial support to purchase bicycles and motorcycles as well as transport and feed our volunteers who at the moment are taking the message of OPTIMISM and TRANSFORMATION to towns and villages across Liberia. With your help we are going to win the 2011 election and start building the New Liberia. Please give whatever you can: http://tqharrisforpresident.com/Donate.html

Prior to 1944, Liberia boasted a vibrant political culture where spirited debates took place between various political parties and festive campaigning was a mainstay. The American political system transported to the new nation was well in place for more than a century. Unfortunately, this all ended with the election of President William V. S. Tubman and the emergence of his True Whig Party.

The death of multiparty democracy was the result of political leaders - perhaps out of fear - abandoning their parties and crossing over to the True Whig Party. This began Liberia’s steady decline under 27 years of a dictatorship that placed greater emphasis on attracting foreign investment rather than building a sound moral foundation.

Growing up in the late 1960s as a young lad in Liberia, and especially living in Monrovia which was full of life and vitality; I saw firsthand the pseudo prosperity created by Tubman’s Open Door Policy. By the age of ten, I had encountered people from almost every corner of the globe. Monrovia was practically a melting pot. The country’s economic vibrancy attracted every major Bank in the world. The City was bustling, and so were the communities hosting the multi-million dollar mining operations. These were happy times…perhaps the best Liberians have ever known.

With Roberts International Airport serving as a hub for Pan American Airways, the Roberts Field/Smell-No-Taste community thrived! Major international airlines, as well as private aircrafts, flew in and out of the Airport throughout the day and well into the night. There were jobs to be had - overtime work, around the clock shifts and more. The prospect of a great future seemed assured.

Life was so good that Liberians during this season would fly to the U.S. for the weekend and return to work Monday morning. Those were the days!

Harbel, Kakata, Buchanan, Gbarnga, Ganta, Voinjama, Zorzor, Tappita and Yekepa – to name a few - were places people went to relax and have fun; there were smiles and laughter everywhere!

The Free Port of Monrovia was the sight of continuous activities where not only the shipping needs of Liberia were serviced, but also that of countries throughout the region. Ships headed for the port had to wait out at sea for days - if not weeks - to unload their cargo. A number of countries in the region used the Free Port as a trans-shipment point and also purchased large quantities of American made products in Liberia. Needless to say the economy was booming!

I can remember the long convoy of trucks from Guinea snaking their way along the highway regularly. They brought mostly produce and returned with all types of products, including automobiles, refrigerators and air conditioners which were not readily available anywhere else within the region.

You ask: How did we lose it all? What went wrong? Why is Liberia now ranked among the poorest and most underdeveloped nations in the world? The answer is simple: Our leaders did not have a long-term plan! That’s why we are asking you not to vote blindly in 2011; rather give your support to the man with a plan. Log into TQ Harris VISION for the New Liberia: www.tqharrisforpresident.com/TQ_Vision.html

The surest way to turn Liberia back into a one-party state is through COMPLACENCY AND CARPET CROSSING for short term gain. To not repeat mistakes of the past, Multiparty Democracy must be protected and the Loyal Opposition supported financially! Please make a donation now: http://www.tqharrisforpresident.com/Donate.html

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The Author: T. Q. Harris, Jr. is a member of the Free Democratic Party (of Liberia) who is expected to be a Presidential candidate in the 2011 Election. Mr. Harris in 1997 was the Vice Presidential nominee of his Party. He is currently the Chairman of Liberian Contempt UPS. To get more information: http://www.tqharrisforpresident.com/; http://www.friendsoftq.org/; liberia1@charter.net; and Phone: (562) 256-4271 Liberia: (231) 6 538827

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Inside Liberia with Bernard Gbayee Goah

Everyone is a genius

Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. – A Einstein

Drawing the line in Liberia

Crimes sponsored, committed, or masterminded by handful of individuals cannot be blamed upon an entire nationality. In this case, Liberians! The need for post-war justice is a step toward lasting peace, stability and prosperity for Liberia. Liberia needs a war crimes tribunal or some credible legal forum that is capable of dealing with atrocities perpetrated against defenseless men, women and children during the country's brutal war. Without justice, peace shall remain elusive and investment in Liberia will not produce the intended results. - Bernard Gbayee Goah



Men with unhealthy characters should not champion any noble cause

They pretend to advocate the cause of the people when their deeds in the dark mirror nothing else but EVIL!!
When evil and corrupt men try to champion a cause that is so noble … such cause, how noble it may be, becomes meaningless in the eyes of the people - Bernard Gbayee Goah.

If Liberia must move forward ...

If Liberia must move forward in order to claim its place as a civilized nation amongst world community of nations, come 2017 elections, Liberians must critically review the events of the past with honesty and objectivity. They must make a new commitment to seek lasting solutions. The track records of those who are presenting themselves as candidates for the position of "President of the Republic of Liberia" must be well examined. Liberians must be fair to themselves because results from the 2011 elections will determine the future of Liberia’s unborn generations to come - Bernard Gbayee Goah

Liberia's greatest problem!

While it is true that an individual may be held responsible for corruption and mismanagement of funds in government, the lack of proper system to work with may as well impede the process of ethical, managerial, and financial accountability - Bernard Gbayee Goah

What do I think should be done?

The situation in Liberia is Compound Complex and cannot be fixed unless the entire system of government is reinvented.
Liberia needs a workable but uncompromising system that will make the country an asylum free from abuse, and other forms of corruption.
Any attempt to institute the system mentioned above in the absence of rule of law is meaningless, and more detrimental to Liberia as a whole - Bernard Gbayee Goah

Liberia's Natural Resources
Besides land water and few other resources, most of Liberia’s dependable natural resources are not infinite, they are finite and therefore can be depleted.
Liberia’s gold, diamond, and other natural resources will not always be an available source of revenue generation for its people and its government. The need to invent a system in government that focuses on an alternative income generation method cannot be over emphasized at this point - Bernard Gbayee Goah

Liberia needs a proper system
If Liberians refuse to erect a proper system in place that promotes the minimization of corruption and mismanagement of public funds by government institutions, and individuals, there will come a time when the value of the entire country will be seen as a large valueless land suited on the west coast of Africa with some polluted bodies of waters and nothing else. To have no system in place in any country is to have no respect for rule of law. To have no respect for rule of law is to believe in lawlessness. And where there is lawlessness, there is always corruption - Bernard Gbayee Goah

Solving problems in the absence of war talks

As political instability continues to increase in Africa, it has become abundantly clear that military intervention as a primary remedy to peace is not a durable solution. Such intervention only increases insecurity and massive economic hardship. An existing example which could be a valuable lesson for Liberia is Great Britain, and the US war on terror for the purpose of global security. The use of arms whether in peace keeping, occupation, or invasion as a primary means of solving problem has yield only little results. Military intervention by any country as the only solution to problem solving will result into massive military spending, economic hardship, more fear, and animosity as well as increase insecurity. The alternative is learning how to solve problems in the absence of war talks. The objective of such alternative must be to provide real sustainable human security which cannot be achieved through military arm intervention, or aggression. In order to achieve results that will make the peaceful coexistence of all mankind possible, there must be a common ground for the stories of all sides to be heard. I believe there are always three sides to every story: Their side of the story, Our side of the story, and The truth – Bernard Gbayee Goah

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