Tubmanburg, Bomi County -  With just one week left for the December 8 special senatorial election which comes with a crucial national referendum, the President of the Republic, Dr. George Manneh Weah, has been ramping up campaign for “yes votes” to all eight resolutions on the Referendum ballot.

 

The President is particularly exciting citizens, eligible voters, pushing for the reduction of presidential and representative terms from six years to five years and senatorial term from nine to seven years. He’s also campaigning for the dual citizens resolution against what many regard as “racist” and mean provisions of the Liberian Constitution on citizenship. 

 

On Saturday, November 28, 2020 in Tubmanburg, President Weah told citizens of Bomi County that the referendum provides real time opportunity for Liberians to change the country and give every citizen desirous of national leadership the space to do so.

 

“I want you to know that true democracy requires everyone who has the desire to participate to do so, and everyone who has the desire for leadership to be given the chance to do so as well,” President Weah stated at the campaign rally of Senatorial Candidate J. Alex Tyler of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC).

 

The President informed the people of Bomi that reducing the tenure of President from six to five years was in the supreme interest of the country as opposed to having someone in power for a protracted period of time. 

 

He stressed: “I strongly believe keeping someone in power for long is not the way to go; it is a wasted time and we need to make it shorter.”

 

President Weah said shortening the tenure of the Liberian presidency is a way of putting significant pressure on leaders to work hard and quick, and to develop the country, as it is also an opportunity for those desirous of becoming president to have time to do so. 

 

On Dual citizenship, the President said it was inconceivable to deny Liberians in the Diaspora the right to become citizens of their country of birth. 

 

He said there are thousands of professional Liberians in the Diaspora who cannot return home to contribute their quotas to national development because of unfair restrictions and barriers enshrined in the country’s constitution. 

 

The President encouraged Liberians to emulate other African countries that have similar system in place for their citizens in the Diaspora, which is why those countries are developing faster than Liberia.

 

President Weah told citizens of Bomi not to allow anyone mislead them on the importance of dual citizenship. 

 

“How can you sit there idly when your cousin, uncle, brother, sister or son is denied the right to citizenship only because they are citizens of other countries where they have gone to support you back home,” the President courted citizens on the Referendum. 

 

“Let no one fool you. So on December 8, vote ‘Yes’ for all the propositions.”

 

At the same time, President Weah has called on citizens of Bomi to ensure that Mr. Alex Tyler is elected senator of the county, saying he brings a worth of experience to leadership and is best suited to work with the Executive to push the development agenda of government.

 

He informed the enthusiastic supporters that his relationship with Mr. Tyler spanned so many years contrary to claims in some quarters in the county, and described Tyler a brother, and not just a friend. 

 

President Weah also told the jubilant gathering to be mindful of those spewing lies and falsehood about his relationship with Tyler, saying such lies and falsehoods are devilish and destructive.

 

“I am not here for anyone else but to promote the candidate of the Coalition, Hon. Alex Tyler. He is our candidate, and he is the one that I have come to plead with you to vote for as your next senator,” President Weah stressed.

 

He said it was important to elect people who support the government and its development, emphasizing that the more the people who support his government serving in the Legislature, “the easier and better it becomes for our national development agenda to be implemented”.

 

The Liberian leader also used the time to encourage citizens to keep observing health protocols intended to combat the deadly Covid-19 Pandemic, urging them to wear face masks at all times, and to wash their hands regularly because the virus is real.