Liberian Presidential Candidate Condemns Sirleaf-Johnson’s Request For Nigerian Troops

[TGD]

 THE presidential candidate of the Coalition of Opposition in the coming election in Liberia, Ambassador Dew Tuan-Wleh Mayson, has condemned the call by the country's president, Ellen Johnson Sir-leaf, for the Nigerian government to send troops to Liberia to monitor the elections.  He described the call as an abuse of the country's friendship with Liberia.

Speaking in Lagos, yesterday, Mayson said the call by Sirleaf "is a ploy to entrench herself in office by all means having envisaged imminent defeat, following the loss of experienced by her party in the recently held referendum in the country.

He explained that the exercise was meant to guage the popularity of the parties contesting in the elections.

The presidential aspirant alleged that the decision of Sirleaf to get troops from Nigeria to take charge of the elections was as a result of her determination to intimidate voters during the elections to enable her perpetuate herself in office against the wish of Liberians.

Mayson, who is the presidential flagbearer of the opposition parties that won in the referendum, said that, "incumbency factor has been exaggerated. The referendum showed clearly that victory does not lie in the hands of the oppressors but the amount of struggle and resistance that could be put up against it."

According to him, the referendum is a clear indication that victory may be difficult, but not impossible.

According to him, "Sirleaf lost the popularity test after being indicted for not pursuing her programme of reconciliation. Under her leadership, Liberia has been indicted by the international watchdog — the Transparency International — as a corrupt nation, ranking above Nigeria."

He also berated the ruling party for trying to take people of Liberians for a ride over her intention to seek a second term after she had pledged to bow out at the completion of her six-year single term. "The fact that the policies and actions of her government have refused to translate into goodwill for the country is enough reason Liberians want her out," he said.

A professor, and former Ambassador to Spain, Mayson, who has acted as facilitator for the establishment of Nigerian businesses in Liberia, remarked that unemployment rate in Liberia has jumped to 85 per cent in the last six years that Sirleaf assumed office.

Liberia's presidential election holds on October 11, 2011.



The Guardian