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Wettee
defeats Toe: Now what?
Tuesday,
September 26, 2006
By Tewroh-Wehtoe Sungbeh
Emmanuel S. Wettee was elected president of the Union of Liberian
Association in the Americas (ULAA), during its 32nd
general assembly gathering in Philadelphia on
September 23, defeating an able candidate Emmanuel
Toe, who challenged Wettee at every turn in an attempt
to deny him the chance to fulfill his dream after
serving as the # 2 guy for a decade.
I once referred to
the presidential race in a recent column as the “
battle for our hearts and votes,” and Wettee proved
the power of machine politics – the unofficial
system of political organizations based on patronage
and votes to maintain political and administrative
control and held on to defeat his opponent by a margin
of 119 to
73 votes.
Pres. candidates E. Wettee and
Emmanuel Toe are busy casting ballots
Wettee’s camp,
according to reports won most of the positions. And as
an entrenched insider and institutional candidate,
Emmanuel Wettee was able to defeat a feisty and
substantive outsider Emmanuel Toe, who fought hard to
be relevant by explaining over and over his track
record as a savvy businessman and a community leader,
his humble life’s story, his vision and ideas for
ULAA but fell short as his opponent and detractors
were too much to bear.
Wettee on his part
stressed the future, his experience, his record and
what he intends to do once he’s elected president of
an organization still living on its name and the past,
instead of what it can do for Liberians in desperate
need of help in these modern times.
The Union of Liberian
Association in the Americas’ presidential election
of 2006, was one of the most anticipated and contested
elections in recent time, due to the accessibility and
visibility of the candidates, the advent and use of
the Internet by a lot of Liberians, the birth of the
ubiquitous e-list and campaign messages sent out
conveniently to inboxes by the
minute and hour, and the dedication of die-hard
supporters of both camps who did all they could to
promote their candidates on a daily basis.
We Liberians, (as the
Christians would say) are “blessed” for the back-to-back
political victories, first on the home front with the peaceful and democratic
elections of a president and
Legislative leaders coupled with the peaceful exercise
in Philadelphia shows our political maturity, which we all
should be proud of.
However, just as some
of us boldly asked then, “now what?” after the
national elections in Liberia in October, and the
run-off elections in November that ushered in Ellen
Johnson Sirleaf as our national political leader, I am
tempted to ask again, “now what”?
Where does ULAA go
from there, and what become of the association after
this grand exercise in Philadelphia? Is Wettee up to
the task, and did the delegates make the right
decision in electing him instead of Toe?
President-elect
Wettee has in his possession the job he always wanted,
and must work extremely hard to bring ULAA back to
life by restoring trust, financial accountability and
respectability to this trouble organization.
Wettee will need to
be inclusive by extending his hand to others not in
his camp including Emmanuel Toe, whose management,
business and financial skills he will need to help him
get ULAA running.
Just as he was able
to travel to many cities and states during the
presidential campaign to sell himself and his ideas,
Wettee must also roll up his sleeves and begin to
promote his vision and market ULAA to Liberians in
cities and states across the United States, about a
ULAA that will always be there to represent their
interests when they need ULAA.
The president-elect
must convince others residing in the north and the northeastern section of the United States, including
his Board of Directors to take ULAA to the people; and
must also let them know that ULAA is not a
northeastern institution reserved only for those that
don’t want to travel and spend, but want others to
always travel miles and miles away from home for
conventions and assembly meetings to their part of the
United States.
For ULAA to grow and
be effective, the association must rotate its annual
conventions, its assembly or executive meetings and
other activities throughout the United States so as to
encourage mass participation, which will also
encourage members to feel as being part of something
genuine that respects and cares about them, which will
also help to bring back chapters that are feeling
neglected and wants to bow out, or have already bowed
out of ULAA.
Many of us were
frustrated when we couldn’t vote in our country’s
presidential and legislative elections, when Iraqis
were green lighted to participate in their country’s
out-of-country electoral process.
President-elect
Wettee must work hard to correct the wrong by working
with democratic institutions, governments and policy
groups to work out something, to encourage and allow
out-of-country voting for Liberians the next time
around.
Of course
immigration, the urgent need for an office building -
our own building and a community center
are also some of the issues Mr. Wettee must tackle as
president.
ULAA is 30 years old;
way too old not to have any of these things for its
members especially when their chapters are required to
pay annual dues.
It is obvious
Emmanuel Wettee cannot do all these things by himself.
For him to be successful Liberians and their
due-paying chapters, hopefully, will work with him to
get his programs accomplished. However, it is better
trying then not trying at all.
Good luck, and
congratulations.
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