Kloh discusses possible presidential run; but can he win? 
Wednesday, July  11, 2007

 By Tewroh-Wehtoe Sungbeh

     Edmund Nah Kloh is not your typical guy who grew up dreaming of becoming a politician, but wants to play one on the national stage when the term of current president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf expires in 2012.

      This was revealed to me during a June 29 visit to Minneapolis, MN, when I met the long-time academic at the wedding of mutual friends and fellow Krao Jlator Nah Gewleh and Oretha Bonyenoh Gewleh, at which time Kloh briefly race through few of the reasons he wants to leave the comfort of a teaching job in Oklahoma for the Liberian presidency it is uncertain he can win since he does not have a political base in Liberia or the United States, does not live in Liberia, is not a member of a political party and has never ran for an elected political office in his entire life. 

     Kloh's unofficial announcement to run for president in 2012 is perhaps the first in what could possibly be a crowded field of those seeking to replace Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

     However, knowing Liberian politics and how tempted it can be for would-be candidates to join a presidential sweepstake could see a rise in those joining him, which could also signal a possible repeat of 2006, when over 40 candidates joined the race for the singular position.         

     “I want to end corruption” he quipped, and “I also want to give money back to the people,” he also said. When asked whether he’s a member of a political party, Kloh answered “No,” but is interested in joining George Weah’s Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) political party where he wants to hatch his presidential dream, and wants me to believe CDC could also nominate him as its Standard Bearer.

     “Do you know Mr. Weah personally, and have you ever contacted the party and its members about your interest to become a member,” I asked. He again answered “No” but would do so shortly.

     Kloh, not surprisingly projects the confidence of the college professor he is but is naïve about presidential and party politics, and is also dreaming if he thinks George Weah is going to make room for a newcomer like Kloh to bulldoze his way into a party he (Weah) built almost single handedly to groom his own presidential ambitions only to allow another person to be its nominee, is beyond belief.

     Kloh, who has lived in the United for close to three decades and is not involve in his own local community association reminds me of most Liberian politicians or wannabe presidential candidates who completely divorced themselves from their community associations, operate stealthily or openly within their own circles only to suddenly appear when the presidential bug hits.

     Many of these individuals who are part time candidates and part time opposition leaders, works and live overseas as we clearly saw in 2006, when they left Liberia for the comfort of America after the elections; are opportunistic, have no interests in the Liberian nation, its people or politics and are politicians in name only; but would rather live in the United States and talk presidential politics, which cheapens the process and robs the Liberian people of the opportunity to know their candidates.

     These wannabe presidential candidates often put their political ambitions over convictions, as a result are vague and directionless about where they are heading and what they stand for and often rely on their academic credentials and some obvious talking points to guide them, which doesn't work in most cases because one has to stand for something worth standing for to be taken seriously.

     I don't want to bad-mouth or beat on Liberians with PhDs, but the aftermath of the 1980 coup d' tat was a public relations disaster for members of that elite club of which Edmund Nah Kloh is a member. Some of the individuals in this group, up to this day, are being blamed by the Liberian people for instigating the coup only to later benefit from it by being part and parcel of the military dictatorial government-turned civilian government after advocating multi-party democracy for years in Liberia.

     Years after the military or civilian government of Samuel Kanyon Doe was violently overthrown, it seems certain members of this elite group continues to have no interest whatsoever in engaging themselves practically in rebuilding Liberia by donating their time and expertise, and are not interested in inspiring kids and adults, either, but are bent incessantly on running for president of Liberia in every election cycle, which is a turned off for many Liberians.

     What most Liberians are saying is that with such impressive academic credentials, those Liberians who left the comfort of their adopted homes with the hopes of returning to Liberia should first reacquaint themselves with their people and the neighborhoods they left behind for so long, get involve with their respective local communities, forge ties, inspire, motivate and mentor school kids or needy kids, teach, sponsor a child, adopt a school and just get involve in civic and community activities in a responsible way.

     After all that is done, people will then take notice and begin to see what the individual is worth before taking the person seriously. But to sit in the United States forever and suddenly dream of a presidential run in Liberia with no sense of what is happening on the ground, no record of any significant contribution to nation-building, is a joke.

     Edmund Nah Kloh could certainly use his 35-year experience as an educator to teach in Liberia or work to improve the school system in the country. Running for president at this time is not a wise decision because that campaign will never gain traction.

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