My dear brothers and sisters in Liberia,
The Presidential Elections of November, 2017, will be a momentous occasion for Liberia. Any decision and choice made as to who will be president would be irreversible with implications for Liberia now and the future generations.. Consequently, all Liberians must,by their participation in the election, display the full honour and responsibility of their citizenship as Liberians.
I urge you to think of your "hopes and dreams" and of the “hopes and dreams” of future generations; your children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Everybody’s chances of a secured employment, right to travel at will, right to safety and security, right to build the sort of open and successful society we want to live in, and so on, rests on the outcome of this election, whose consequences will last longer than most of us. Remember that Liberians never quit. The get involved and, even, take the lead, whenever there is a need to make a difference and get things accomplished.
What are the issues in this election? Let me, from my vantaged point as an interested observer, summarise these briefly as follows:
a. revitalizing the country's economy and creation of employment;
b. planning for peace and security in the post UNMIL security environment;
c. food security;
d. Corruption;
e. reconciliation in the wake of the TRC debacle;
f. health care; safe drinking water and sanitation;
g. education; and
h. Dual Citizenship and other human rights.
Campaigns are permanent conditions. Indeed, a successful campaigner is expected to be a successful president if the president proceeds to governs as well as he campaigned; and the country will be all right. There are similarities between a campaign and the presidency. They both require a candidate to perform well under pressure, communicate effectively, and build a team that people trust. Campaigns are, therefore, crucibles for examining the souls of the candidates.
Therefore, as you watch the campaigns, understand the need for you to reward the “fighters” on behalf of the people. Go for a candidate who understands that governing requires leadership, cooperation, compromise, conciliation, negotiation and being on the side of the people at all times. While a campaign focuses on the opponents, a president “attacks” so many things, people, issues and so on, everyday; again and again.
Consequently, an astute political observer once declared the following as issues to consider in the onerous task of electing a president:
“Political skill: Campaigns give us a good idea of a candidate’s priorities, but can they read the political landscape they’ll face when they get to office? Are they honest enough to win voters’ trust but ruthless enough cut a deal with their enemies when necessary? Are they comfortable with the schmoozing, backslapping, and ego-massaging that comes with the job?
Management ability: Is the candidate focused enough to follow an overarching vision, but nimble enough to tweak that vision when real-world events intervene? Can they admit mistakes and learn from them? Can they sift through complex ideas? Can they recognize baloney when it comes from their staff or supporters? Do they know how to hire a good team?
