UP Platform Invisible

Liberians Worry about Party’s Deliverables Several residents of the community of WestPoint have expressed doubt over the withholder of the ruling unity party’s campaign platform. According to Samuel Jarvey, who claimed to have come back to Liberian in December of 2010, he is yet to pledge his support to any party during the 2011 elections slated for October 11, 2011. “I was impressed by the crowd the unity party pull during their campaign launch, but I am to decide which party to vote for base on their platform. The unity party has leaved me in doubt what would be their deliverables if they win the election,” he said.

Also speaking to our reporter a business woman, Yvonne Smith, said though the Unity Party had tried its best to address some situation in the country, she did not understand if the party had any added objectives. “The unity party may have gotten popular since it took the presidency of the country, but that does not warrant leaving us in doubts of what are it plans for their second term,” she pointed out. Last Saturday, September 18, 2011, approximately several UP partisans and sympathizers from locations around Montserrado County and beyond marched through the principle street of Monrovia to the Antoinette Tubman Staduim ATS; built to accommodate 10,000 spectators for a football match. Temperature in the over capacitated stadium became so high that the National Fire Service (NFS) created artificial rain to quench the blistering heat which had begun to suffocate the third overwhelming crowd pull by any one political party in the country. At least ten of the jubilant UP loyalists and sympathizers fainted at the stadium and was rushed to hospital before the party’s standard bearer, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, mounted the stage to address the gathering. President Sirleaf was supposed to present the party’s platform to her supporters but begged them to go home instead after her approximately five minutes speech because of the heat hazard which was beginning to prevail. Incumbent resident Ellen Johnson Sirleaf highlighted the successes she and her able lieutenants have accomplished in the country including reformation in the human and infrastructure development. The impressed UP presidential aspirant urged the crowd to vote for not only her but all those running on the party’s ticket because the other UP officials, if elected will boost the next government’s efforts in moving the country forward. In her closing remarks the second term hopeful thanked the crowd for coming out to show their loyalty to the party and the vision to the rebuilding of a viable Liberian society. During the march, political slogans such as “it will hold”, “ugly baboon wait small” and “the mansion is lock, Ellen has the key” could be heard as the crowd journeyed to the ATS with second term hopefuls incumbent Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Joseph N. Boikia. Impressed by the massive turnout, several stewards who were at launch, including NPA director Mathilda Parker and Internal Affairs Minister Harrison Karnwea among other expressed how confident they were of their standard bearer retaking the Liberian presidency. Some jubilant partisans said they had made up their minds several years ago to follow the unity party because the party gives them assurance of tolerance, hope, justice and peace. Frontpage Africa asked 26years old George Fayiah, one of the overzealous UP partisans, what have prompted such historical turnout for the Unity Party as compare to previous elections. “The people say we do not the numerical strength to defeat them, but from today I think that doubt is clear. As you can see people are even fainting around this place,” Mr. Fayiah said. However, sayings such as “our players are on loan today and will return when we are ready for them” could be heard from some onlookers probably neutral or from another party.