Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Liberia: Resounding "No" - As Oppositions Clam Victory

E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor

Source: The New Dawn

It's now increasingly clear that the attainment of a two-thirds majority from any of the four propositions in the recent National Referendum is far fetch with 4,418 polling places or 99.1% of the total votes cast yet unable to see any of the propositions receiving a two-thirds vote to effect an amendment in the Liberian Constitution.


The emerging figures have prompted the opposition to claim victory over the ruling party. CDC Campaign Coordinator Senator Jewel Haward Taylor told a local radio talk show Monday that the figures were a sign of victory for the opposition. Her view was backed by Liberty Party Chairman, a supporter of the Yes camp.


Announcing the fourth installment of provisional results in a press conference at the National Elections Commission headquarters in Monrovia Monday, NEC Chairman James Fromayan, reports that Proposition (1) total 'Yes' votes stand at 288,058, while 'No' votes have mounted to 243,567 with total invalid votes recorded at 76,069.


According to Fromayan, total 'Yes' votes for Proposition (2) stand at 218,179, with 'No' votes at 317,957, and invalid votes registering 71,554. The NEC boss further announced that 'Yes' votes for Proposition (3) have recorded 303,250, while 'No' votes stand at 231,738 with invalid votes amounting to 72,702. Formayan reports that Proposition (4) has attained 359,545 'Yes' votes and 172,608 'No' votes with 75,537 invalid votes respectively.


He said total voters for the polling places reported stand at 607,690 with voters' turnout registering 33.8 percent.

"Polling places yet to be reported total 39. The commission will announce final results on Wednesday, August 31, 2011", Fromoyan added. Giving the latest update from the NEC, it appears difficult, if not impossible, for a proposition to obtain a two-thirds vote as constitutionally required.


Speaking to reporters right after Chairman Fromayan's press briefing, the Vice Standard Bearer of the opposition National Democratic Coalition (NDC) Representative Lawrence Dusty Wolokollie, indicated that both the ruling Unity Party and the opposition Liberty Party have lost a great political battle, which is a litmus-test for the impending general and presidential elections.


"The ruling party should now be aware that Liberians are tired with this regime, and as you see, they lost the referendum already, which protects their Standard Bearer Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf", Wolokollie noted.
However, the National Chairman for the Alliance for Peace and Democracy (APD) Dr. Marcus Dahn has strongly differed with the NDC's Vice Standard Bearer, stressing that the 2011 National Referendum cannot be described as a litmus-test for the ensuing elections.


According to Dr. Dahn, Liberians have willingly exercised their constitutional duties, and that the government respects their views, but when it comes to the presidency, he said, the choice is already made by Liberians that the only option for now is Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

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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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