Where Do You Stand On These Complaints?

The new issue on the political blog is the new phenomenal of “voters’ migration”. What all of the discussants I listened to have not been able to say, what is wrong with any Liberian registering in any part of the country? Comments like,” political aspirants are moving people around the country”, “would be districts representatives are paying people to register in their districts”, and party loyalists are buying voters’ support for their parties” in my opinion have not done any damage to the four days old electoral process. Can anyone state in clear term, what is wrong with what is obtaining right now in Liberia?

We Need to Work Hard

Less than 24 hours into the Voters’ Registration process, several individuals are raising “Red Flag” at the National Elections Commission (NEC) for several reasons. Among the many concerns are the “migration of voters”, the slowness of voter registrars, the shortness of the time allotted for the registration process, and worst of all of the complaints; the number and distances between voters and the assigned registration centers. I had the opportunity to observed the “Voters’ Registration Awareness Campaign” sponsored by the NEC. I encountered the marchers four hours into the registration process and not a single one of the individual that I spoke to had registered. Ironically, they all were wearing t-shirts marked “I Registered to Vote”. Up to the time of this posting, most of the individuals who participated in the NEC organized Voters' Registration Campaign could not even tell me the closest registration center to their community. More needs to be done. I am doing mine NOW!

What Is Going On?

Did we end 2010 on a wrong note or are starting 2011 on a wrong note? The air waves are filled with claims and counter claims from the government, civil society groups, opposition political parties, and concerned Liberians about the wrongful behavior of either of the named groups. What is difficult to decipher in all of these claims is that each group seems to be concern about the peaceful outcome of the 2011 General elections, without any clarity as to their role in ensuring that the playing field is level and that the rules governing the political game are respected.

On Friday, December 31, 2010, just when the year was about to end, the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) had an encounter with the Liberian National Police (LNP) for the second time in one year. Each time, the claims ranged from the LNP acting out of order to members of the LNP pursuing their personal agenda in the conduct of national duties. Yet the CDC which claims to know all of the rules will not say where they went wrong. For example, the failure of the CDC, its Standard Bearer, and its partisans to obey a simple order of “traffic shifting” led to the destruction of state property(s). According to one radio talk show, Ambassador George Weah, obey the police order because he was in one of the first three cars that turn towards the Jallah Town Road. The question is, how did the partisans got into conflict with the police when the man for whom they were marching already decided to be law abiding. Who is running things at the CDC?

Two days into the New Year, Melvin Paye accused the government of “violating the rights” of the Liberian Children because according to him “the government failed to build recreation centers for children” ahead of the festive season, thus leading the children into such acts like drinking alcoholic beverages. Again, like the rest of us, Mr. Paye failed to tell the Liberian people what kind of activities he organized in his neighborhood to keep the children off the streets. Everything is the government.

In less than ten days into 2011, there have been several calls on the government or the President in particular, Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for her to take certain actions or risk the positive outcome of the 2011 General Elections in her favor. The calls ranged from such simple issues as the conduct of recruiting voters’ registrars to the rehabilitation of roads.

Are we starting well?