Liberia: Ruling Party Vows to ‘Sweep’ 2017 Elections

The governing Unity Party (UP) has vowed to sweep the 2017 Presidential Election, throwing out a challenge to opposition political parties here.

The UP maintains that it is not prepared to lose the presidency to any political party; as such, it will work harder to hold the presidency and all other seats in the Legislature.

At a retreat in Marshall City, Margibi County over the weekend, UP partisans said they will win the presidency for the third time come 2017, noting that it is about time to take charge of their party to move forward.

The Chairman of the UP retreat Committee in Marshall City Representative Clarence Massaquoi said 2017 will be no alternative for the UP.

He said the retreat was intended to identify what each partisan can do to improve the party status from what it is now. Rep. Massaquoi said there is no opposition political that can stand in the way of the ruling party come 2017 presidential and general elections.

he said the party is prepared to dominate both the House of Representative and the Senate, saying “We will see to it that the Unity Party produces the highest number of lawmakers in both houses; we are also here to discuss what we can do to take the party from where it is now to where it used to be. As you all know, we are not where we used to be,” he told fellow partisans at the retreat.

The first partisan of the Unity Party, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, and Vice President Joseph Boakai, including party Chairman Varney Sherman were not invited to the Marshall City retreat.

Though the party did not provide any reason for not inviting its top officials, this paper has leant that the party took the decision to allow partisans express themselves freely without fear. It is believed the presence of President Johnson-Sirleaf could have frightened partisans to say what is on their minds, concerning the party and its officials.

However, other executives, including county chairs, youth congress Chair, and the chairman of the Unity Party Legislative Caucus as well as UP lawmakers from both Houses were in attendance.

Also speaking at the retreat, UP lawmaker Bill Twehway said the party is prepared to have more than 50percent of Senators and Representatives in the 2014 elections, saying “Those who think that we cannot win 2017 are in error, and we are going to win more than 50percent seats in both houses come 2014”, he bragged.