Geraldine-Doe Sheriff Won, But the Obvious Lack of Political Maturity and Substance Could Be George Weah and CDC's Achilles Heels in 2011 Of Two Soccer Legends

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Tewroh-Wehtoe Sungbeh

     Geraldine-Doe Sheriff is now Senator-elect or (soon-to-be) Senator Geraldine-Doe Sheriff of Montserrado County. Prior to her flirtation with the Montserrado County senatorial seat, most Liberians heard of this lady when she ran for the presidency of the Oilers Sports Association, then later when she ran for the national chairmanship of the Congress for Democratic Change political party; but did not know whether she had any future political aspirations for a national senatorial seat.

     It was during her run for the national chairmanship of the Congress for Democratic Change political party in 2008, we saw or heard about the virulent infighting between her die-hard supporters and those of her strongest challenger, Joshua Sackie, at which time the famous “First Partisan” and “Ambassador” George Manneh Weah was conspicuously missing in action for a long period amid the embarrassing public feud in the political party he founded to aid his run for the presidency in 2005. This is the same political party he’s cleverly hiding behind once again to guide his second bid for the presidency in 2011.

     In the wake of the public feud in the ranks of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) in Monrovia, deputy secretary general Acarius Gray showed his own political naivete when he reportedly said the CDC would disrupt the upcoming 2011 presidential and general elections unless a non-partisan is brought onboard to oversee the upcoming elections, which certainly is not the way to run a national political party that wants to be seen as a serious alternative to the current leadership in Liberia.

 Senator-elect Geraldine-Doe Sheriff                                      Amb. George Weah

     “Unless a non-partisan is brought on onboard, the party will create an ugly situation that will disrupt the 2011 elections,” Gray said. According to Star Radio and other major news web sites, the Congress for Democratic Change even called for the dissolution of the National Elections Commission (NEC) before the 2011 elections. 

     The mind boggling threats and political immaturity of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) took another turn during the recent Montserrado County senatorial election when George Weah, who wants to be the next president of Liberia reportedly threatened “severe consequences” if his party looses the Montserrado County senatorial by-election.

     Even though Weah’s mangled utterances are simplistic and not resembling the thoughtful words of a serious presidential candidate, they are clear enough for one to know he is threatening violence and intimidation to cruise his way to electoral victory.

    “Liberia’s democracy could be plunged into trouble if the election is not free, fair and transparent. The seat belongs to CDC and UP want to take it from us, but we will win it back. So we want the NEC to play fair so we all can live in peace,” George Weah reportedly said.

     Where are the Liberian National Police and the Attorney General of Liberia when we need them?

     How in the world can George Weah make such threat in the wake of a fragile peace the citizens of Liberia are now enjoying after a prolonged and senseless civil war without him being arrested, investigated, and put on trial for inciting violence, and undermining the national security of the nation during these fragile times? How can this man who wants to lead an entire people and nation naively say the senatorial seat belongs to him and his political party? How silly can he be? Who is Weah’s political advisor, anyway?

     Like the criminal, Charles Taylor, who threatened to keep on fighting for the next 50 years if he didn't win the presidency, but won it anyway, because the Liberian people were fearful of a protracted civil war, George Weah continues to talk tough and threatening the Liberian people who are adhering to the rule of law, trying to get back on their feet, and minding their own business since the war came to an end. A behavior of this kind shows Weah is still a child, and the Liberian people will pay a heavy price if George Manneh Weah is ever elected president of that country.

     However, the enthusiasm generated by the November 24, by-election, which had a record turnout than the previous one of November 10, was an impressive one that should get the attention of political observers, because it brought out Liberians who wanted to make a difference in their country’s future in an unprecedented way.

     Not wanting to gave the Unity Party and President Sirleaf another victory and a blank check that could gave her even more imperial power than she already has in her possession, the Liberian people went to the polls and made a difference even after President Sirleaf gave her unconditional support to institutional candidate Clemenceau Urey, which did not go well with most Liberians who saw the president and her party’s involvement in the race as an arrogant way to grab more power.

     The president’s overbearing and shameless involvement in the senatorial race made Geraldine-Doe Sheriff the underdog, made most Liberians nervous; made it much harder for candidate Doe-Sheriff to be heard since some of us never got to know where she stands on the issues, and also made it much harder for her to contrast herself from the other candidates who vied for the singular position.

     Even though the trailblazing accomplishment of Geraldine-Doe Sheriff is an impressive feat that should be applauded, most Liberians still don’t know senator-elect Geraldine-Doe Sheriff’s position on the crippling issues that plagued the nation, and hopes that she will find the time after her victory celebration dies down to meet Liberians and discuss practical and sensible ways to help solve some of the nation’s nagging problems.

     The Liberian people will never know Geraldine-Doe Sheriff’s political agenda when her highly publicized scheduled appearance slated for the U.S. (Washington, DC), was abruptly cancelled because of her very “tight schedule” an e-mail noted, as if the Senator-elect or her handlers are unaware of the fact that the Senate is a very hectic environment where tough schedules are part of the culture. And in order to meet one’s constituents, an elected lawmaker has to juggle and work around backbreaking schedules to answer questions in order to ease the anxieties of his or her constituencies. Geraldine-Doe Sheriff and her handlers should have known that she had a very “tight schedule” before notifying Liberians in the United States that she was going to meet with them once she was in the United States.

      Meanwhile, an e-mail I found in my inbox written and signed on January 11, 2010, by CDC-PA Chairman Alfred Jardiah acknowledged that a Palava Hut Forum was held in Philadelphia, but vaguely claimed (she) Geraldine-Doe Sheriff “displayed such great political performance, at the program,” and also vaguely said: “Ambassador George Weah gave a very inspiring speech; during the question and answer session, he offered his vision for Liberia and what he would do to improve the living conditions of ordinary people. Ambassador Weah also used that occasion to dispel myths concerning his education and understanding about the workings of government,” Jardiah wrote.

      I wonder what performance Jardiah is talking about, and is it possible for Jardiah to spell out Weah’s vision, and how he (Weah) is going to improve the living conditions of ordinary Liberians? I really want to know.

     However, a January 6, 2010, e-mail below from the party’s US-based National Chairman, Matthew N. Nimpson explained the reasons for the senator-elect’s cancellation of her meeting with Liberians in the United States.

     “Please accept our sincere apology for the inability of Mrs. Geraldine Doe-Sheriff, Senator-Elect of Montserrado County, to visit the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan for the town hall style meeting with the Liberian community in the area which was earlier announced by us. This is due to her very tight schedule and the urgency that she returns to Liberia as soon as possible for the return of the Liberian Legislative Branch back to session from their holidays. Mrs. Sheriff will be taking her oath of office then as the new junior senator from Montserado County, R.L. replacing the late Honorable Hannah G. Brent of the CDC Party,” Nimpson wrote.

     Geraldine-Doe Sheriff did not win the senatorial race because of her political acumen or popularity, or because of George Weah’s own political acumen. She did not run a campaign that contrasted her “ideas” from that of her challengers, nor did she win because she was the most qualified candidate among the bunch that contested the seat vacated by the death of Senator Hannah G. Brent.

    Doe-Sheriff piggybacked on Weah’s celebrity due to his history-making stint as a former star footballer, and a football-crazed nation still romanticizing Weah’s prodigious feat on the football field seemed to confuse his football handling skills with political leadership, which sadly, are not quite the same.   

     The senator-elect’s inability to get 50%+1 of the votes on November 10, which would have avoided a runoff led to the November 24, Montserrado County by-election-runoff between Doe-Sheriff and Urey, which leads me to believe Weah is politically vulnerable even as some political observers continued to see the recent UP/CDC match up at the polls as a preview to the 2011 general and presidential elections between Weah and President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

     The electoral numbers 56%/44% for Doe-Sheriff and Urey -  out of 105,800 total votes, certainly exposed the vulnerabilities of George Weah, and shows he can be defeated if a solid candidate enters the race with a message that resonates with the electorates – message such as a development agenda, compassion and a vision to create jobs and sustainable wages, healthcare and education, curbing corruption and crimes, and a vision to implement bread and butter programs that puts food on the table.

    During his first fun for president, Weah did not come close to telling the Liberian people what he would do once he’s elected, and since hasn’t come close to articulating his vision and agenda; and his CDC political party, as usual, did not run a campaign of ideals either, but dwelled on threats, whining, and blame games to make their political points. Behavior of this kind is not only politically fatal, it puts the Congress for Democratic Change and George Weah in the same boat with Charles Taylor, who relied on threats, intimidation, and savagery to win the presidency.