Dr. Clarence Moniba has issued a “passionate plea” to Liberians to depart from the “status quo” that has dominated the country’s political landscape for nearly two decades.
As the youngest presidential candidate, Moniba noted that Liberians cannot yearn for change by repeatedly turning to the same two political parties — the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change and the former ruling Unity Party — which have held sway in the second round of presidential elections since 2005.
The steadfast electoral pattern, he warned Liberians, has produced the same results and kept the nation from realizing its full potential.
“It is simply not a recipe to make progress in this country,” Moniba declared at a press conference yesterday. “How can we continue to say we want change, yet, when given the opportunity to get real, capable change, we reject it for the same two political parties that have led this country for almost 20 years?”
“In 2005, it was the CDC and UP in the 2nd round; in 2011, the CDC and UP were in the 2nd round; in 2017, the CDC and UP were in the 2nd round. How can we say we want change, when we continue to go to the same two groups for that change?” he questioned.
Moniba, whose presidential campaign has gained momentum as a result of his grassroots campaign efforts, noted that for Liberia to achieve genuine change, a change from the old political order is needed.
The next Liberian leader, according to Moniba, should be someone who possesses not just the requisite education but the energy to immediately tackle the issues of soaring food prices, a youth population battling drug addiction, and a lack of infrastructure including roads, hospitals, and schools.
He argued that “these problems” have persisted for a long “because the country has not seen a change in leadership away from the entrenched duopoly of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change and the Unity Party.
“I do not get the wisdom of continuing to seek change from these very parties that have failed to deliver on their promises. We cannot keep going back to the same well and expecting fresh water. We are suffering, our people are suffering, and it’s time for a change.
“If Liberia truly wants change, we have to change the people who are leading this country. We should elect someone who has the energy, education, qualifications, character, vision, connection, and ability to not only unify the country but someone who also represents true generational change,” he argued.
According to Moniba, who is the son of a former Liberian Vice President, Liberia’s existence is at stake and, if the right decision is not made, the consequence would be severe — and for years to come.
He noted that the upcoming elections can only redefine the course of the country if the Liberian people do not reelect President Weah or elect former Vice President Boakai.
Both men, Moniba noted, are no different from each “in terms of leadership abilities and that they do not represent the generational change that is needed to transform the country.”
“Don’t vote for the lesser of two evils on October 10. That is NOT a governing philosophy. Vote for the one ticket that can step in on Day 1 and get the job going,” Moniba said. “We cannot wait another 10 years for this future and the present conditions in this country are an absolute shame. They are too bad to even consider keeping the current leaders in charge. Also, we cannot afford to go back to the failed past.”
According to Moniba, it is time that Liberians put an end to voting “for people simply out of sympathy, popularity or tribal affiliations’ if they truly desire socio-economic transformation.
“My Fellow Liberians, Let us vote wisely. That is why Grace Kpaan and myself have decided to run a very unique, and different kind of campaign,” he said. “I am pleading with everyone: Not as a candidate for president, but as a citizen who has been blessed beyond measure to know that our mere existence as a country is at stake.”
“In these last weeks, let us challenge ourselves to vote for what is in the interest of Mama Liberia. “My fellow citizens, Grace Kpaan and I are prepared to work from day one to make sure that a NEW LIBERIA becomes our reality,” he said.