76-Year-Old Joseph Boakai More Determined for 2021 Elections; Says Weah-led Government as Derailed Liberia’s Development Progress

MONROVIA – The political leader of the former ruling Unity Party (UP), turned 76 on Monday, but he believes that he is stronger, healthier prepared than before to participate in any electoral process and come out victorious.

Addressing the press on Monday at his Rehab Residence, Mr. Joseph Boakai said though during the 2017 election presidential debate, he described his role as a Vice President under the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s regime as “parked race car” that needed an opportunity to hit the runway, he is no longer a parked car and he is now alert than ever.

“During the 2017 Elections campaign, I described my role as Vice President to be like a ‘parked race car.’ Today, I want to say clearly that I am no longer a parked race car.  I am alert, in good health, ready to participate, and win any race I find myself in going forward!” he said.

Defending the UP Regime

The former Vice President recalled that the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf regime inherited a country stricken by the devastation of war and an “international pariah”.

“We endeavored, with scant resources, to restore basic social services, rebuild infrastructure and re-establish local administration and the rule of law throughout the country. We quickly gained the confidence of development partners and major lending institutions to be able to negotiate the write off our massive debt and restore the country’s credit worthiness,” he said.

He boasted that the Unity Party-led government under the Sirleaf-Boakai team took the country from a relief and emergency assistance case to recovery and set it firmly on the path to sustainable development in record time.

“Liberia took its rightful place of respectability and honor within the comity of nations. The national budget rose from a mere US$85 million in 2006 to more than US$500 million by the end of the first term. The economy grew at a whopping rate of nearly 10% annually and was only slowed by the global financial crisis of 2008-2009,” he said.

He said stated when Ebola epidemic struck the country, the regime worked assiduously with the international community to ensure that the country does not sink into total collapse.

Boakai: “I am therefore bemused when critics say the Sirleaf-led government in 12 years did NOTHING!  Some of us are very gullible and I believe many are blind. Former President Sirleaf and I are very proud of our record of lifting Liberia, elevating her image in the comity of nations, and raising our fellow citizens from abject poverty to an appreciable standing of living after 14 years of a brutal and most devastating civil war.

“I often wonder if these critics ever stop to imagine what would have happened to this country had the CDC government taken over the leadership of this country in 2006, judging from their record from 2018? I am convinced the situation would have been too ghastly to contemplate.”

“During the 2017 Elections campaign, I described my role as Vice President to be like a ‘parked race car.’ Today, I want to say clearly that I am no longer a parked race car.  I am alert, in good health, ready to participate, and win any race I find myself in going forward!”

– Joseph N. Boakai, Political Leader, Unity Party

Governance Under Weah

The former Vice President, without mincing his words, said Liberia began to suffer rapid setback and poor governance and assault on the Constitution immediately President took over the leadership of the country.

He criticized the President and his officials over their failure to declare their assets after taking office in keeping with the law.

“Up to date, the Liberian people still do not know the veracity of Mr. Weah’s asset declaration or how many of his officials have declared their assets,” he said.

Former Vice President Boakai alleged that President Weah has sought to undermine integrity institution that were set up to fight corruption by filling those institutions with cronies to render themselves ineffective.

He referenced the “failure” of the regime to give proper account of the L#16 billion that was alleged to have been missing and the US$25 million allotted to mop-up excess Liberian dollar which prompted massive protest in July 2019 and January 2020.

Boakai: “The Weah government has endeavored to turn the Liberian National Police into a partisan unit to be used against perceived enemies, despite the fact that the LNP was trained as a professional force by UNMIL financed by donors’ money as part of the Security Sector Reform; allegations are rife that the CDC is in the business of training private militias and assassins to target opposition figures and intimidate opponents. There has been a spree of mysterious killings and disappearances, most of which the Police has yet to investigate or submit credible reports. Liberians now live in fear and insecurity.”

Speaking on the pending referendum, Mr. Boakai said, “We do not support the Government decision to collapse the eight proposed amendments to the Constitution adopted by the Legislature into three proposals. We equally do not support the holding of the Referendum during the Mid-Term Senatorial Elections, especially because no massive awareness campaigns have been undertaken by the Government or the NEC to educate the citizens about the ramifications of these amendments to our Constitution.  Most people in some parts of the country do not even know that they will be voting on a Referendum.”

Poor Fiscal Management

According to Mr. Boakai, the current hardship Liberians are faced with is as a result of poor management of fiscal and monetary policies coupled with corruption. This, he alleged is fueled by the greed of public officials.

“Today, we are experiencing the precipitating fall in the value of the Liberian Dollar vis-à-vis the US Dollar without regulatory actions to curtail high prices in the marketplace, further affecting the cost of living.  To say the least, our people are suffering.  Most of our people cannot provide food for their families, pay school fees for their children, and meet other basic necessities of life,” said the former Vice President and political leader of the Unity Party.

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