Monday, November 1, 2010

Ralph Geeplay's Posit

The Looming fight: The Weah -Brumskin merger
 

                        

By Ralph Geeplay

Politics today as we know it still resembles the ancient Greek theatre for its atrocity and comedy and in the times of the Athenians when the spectacle to battle was both an act of entertainment and a scene of carnage that was both mouth gaping as it was a sport. Transport that to West Africa and you see Liberians politicians gunning for the presidency of their country as an all important election approaches next year.
The recent merger between Football legend George Weah and Attorney of law Charles Walter BrumTskin comes at a time when political marriages are fastly consolidating in an effort to dislodge the incumbent Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

If politics is about canvassing to win votes and induce a skeptic electorate, then 2011 is the year that these politicians will prove they have the gravitas and the familiarity that the issues demand in an era of empty talk and showmanship!

What surprises me to be frank is the intent of the communiqué recently signed in the Ghanaian capital of Accra between Weah and Brumskin.

Unquestionably, the deal comes as an exclusive preserve to the both and especially Brumskin as it states: “In an effort to put forth a credible ticket for an opposition victory in the 2011 General and Presidential Elections, we have committed ourselves to running on the same ticket in the ensuing Presidential elections!”

What this means is that the both men would invite other political leaders in the country to join them, instead of finding amongst the political leaders in the opposition an acceptable ticket. It also states that both of them would be heading the ticket and along the way they would pick up the smaller parties interested in joining them as they best Ellen in the ensuing legislative and presidential elections.

This is selfish at most for several reasons. In a time when full opposition strength would be needed to extricate a very strong candidate in the person of Johnson Sirleaf from power, the communiqué falls short of being all inclusive.

But Sirleaf has welcomed the merger terming it a “welcome development.” Her press secretary went further, throwing up a challenge “The president,” he said “has a record to defend, and the opposition, I’m afraid, does not have clear policy direction or vision for this country,” states Cyrus Badio, a former ELBC news editor.

By now it is clear, that Weah will go as a vice presidential candidate, even though some senior CDC partisans are denying this known fact however other top officials within the Congress for Democratic Change has confided that Weah will accept the vice presidency, and therefore if the ticket wins, he would continue to position himself for the presidency as he builds his constituency under the Brumskin’s presidency.

The prize: Executive Mansion

Weah’s education and eloquence is still an issue in certain quarters. “Weah does not have the dexterity and commanding political fluency to debate Ellen and speak to the press and the international community with a commanding presence of a diplomat and leader as Brumskin does,” says a former Liberian Ambassador accredited to the United States of America and Canada. Says a Liberian political science professor at Liberian College, University of Liberia, that “Weah brings an indigenous name recognition populated across several counties: River Gee, Sinoe, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Rivercess, Montserrado, Maryland, Bassa etc couple with football fame and his populist appeal.” It remains to be seen if Weah is as popular as he was during the last elections.

The CDC, many have realized long ago cannot win any elections on its own merit despite Mr. Weah’s estimation that he had the numbers and had to head any ticket and therefore was willing to go it alone if he had to. He ran to Tubman first, and then dumped him for Brumskin. So the juggling and positioning continues and the surprises are not yet over!

So, where does this political marriage between Brumskin and Weah leaves other political parties? The answer is simple: there is another grouping coming soon! Anyone would have thought the Accra communiqué between the Liberty Party (LP) and the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) would have invited other political parties and together they “would have gone into an open primary across the nation, and those who have the numbers and better talking points, charisma, policies as far as moving the country forward would have emerged the eventful winner and then in like manner would have choose his vice presidential candidate, to give the people a taste of politics in action and blessed an emerging democracy festooned with a rich tradition for all to envy as far as debates and campaigning are concern!

The news out of Monrovia is that the Weah Brumskin communiqué is being respectfully received with caution, as a respected media veteran and editor of the Independent Inquirer newspaper Philip Wesseh termed it a breaking news and a welcome development, but said he was holding his breathe “until the final whistle was blown!”

More surprises are slated to come and the myth that Brumskin and Weah are the only heavy weights in the opposition must be dismissed quickly!

There still is Ambassadors Nathaniel Barnes, Winston Tubman and Dew Mason lurking on the horizon and other politicians and actors whose announcements we still await with a voracious craving.

Grasp your seats and make sure your pop corn is close by, the action and drama will not disappoint! We intend to dissect these politicians this election year and probe their characters on the merit of the issues and their backgrounds as far as policies and their records are concerns!

Nobody running for the presidency is going to be handed the Executive Mansion on a silver platter and that include the earlierly declared “formidable candidate,” President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf!

“The prince of darkness is a gentleman,” said Shakespeare. This is just what politicians are for good or for worse. We are watching. The cut throats and bloodbaths in the theater are here. The ancient Greeks would agree!

2 comments:

MOSES S. NYENPAN said...

I am glad that the merger between George Weah and Charles Brumskime did not materialize. This merger, if taken place could not yield any sustainable substance for the growth and maturity of democracy in this oldest African independent nation. That could have been a mis-match even for those from the grassroot, who make up the membership of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC). For us, we keep on making political guesses that in themselves are unforeseeable in cinematic world of video cameras. It was good for everyone who still have a real vision for Liberia and even to the least thinker who has refused to see rambling of ideas - evil ideas.

Moses S. Nyenpan

geeplay said...

George Weah finally have gone with Tubman...let's wish them all the best...or, may the best man during these elections win! Thanks Moses for the comment...