Liberia: Can Cummings Outperform Pres. Weah, Boakai?
Cummings at ATS on October 1
— This is a difficult question but his rise in the campaign for Liberia's October 10 polls has shaken up the country's politics, hitherto dominated by two major parties since the end of the civil war in 2003.
Promising a different way of doing things, Alexander Cummings faces an uphill task of defeating President George Weah and former Vice President Joseph Boakai but he remains hopeful he can.
Cummings, whose ideas many have received as a winnable strategy for national and economic revival, is eyeing the Liberian presidency for the second time. He seeks to reinvigorate the country with a technocratic style of governance and bring an end to the dominant control of the opposition Unity Unity and ruling Coalition for Democratic Change for the last 20 years.
Addressing a large crowd of supporters at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium on Sunday, October 1, Cummings, who appeared upbeat about his chances of winning, told the cheering crowds that he is the most experienced to usher in the transformative experience Liberians desire.
“[My] Government will mark a turning point in the economic life of the Liberian people and will provide decent paying jobs, restore basic infrastructure including good roads, hospitals and schools as well as other social services that will ease the suffering and extreme poverty.
“[I] urge Liberians to turn out en masse on October 10, and give President George Weah a ‘red card’ for his poor leadership performance which has subjected the vast majority of citizens to extreme hardship and deplorable living conditions. Real Change is Coming. Liberians Deserve Better. We must FIX our country,” he said.
Analysts however note that Cummings, who has had a successful business career of more than three decades, along with notable philanthropic interventions in the fields of health, sanitation, and entrepreneurship, faces a significant challenge of winning the presidency as Weah and Boakai remains deeply popular among the vast majority of Liberians voting populations.
This has not stopped Cummings, whose pre-victory rally defied expectations and pulled a significant crowd to fill the Antoinette Tubman Stadium, which has a capacity of about 14,000 — including standing room on the pitch.
While the buzz around the rally may not equate to that of Weah and Boakai at the same venue, Cummings reminded the cheering crowds of thousands of supporters that he is the best fix among the many presidential candidates to change Liberia, which is the 11th poorest in Africa, according to the World Bank.
In remarks at the stadium, he emphasized Liberia’s promising future but reminded the crowd of supporters that “this is only possible if Cummings-Brumskine ticket," wins the elections. Cummings pointed out that under his leadership, Liberians can expect to secure a better living, enabling them to provide for their families and maintain their households effectively.
“We also want to look at the older folks in Liberia, provide loans for our market women, and give hope to the hopeless. We want to fix Liberia, my people,” he said.
Cummings’ lack of political experience has been used against him by criticism, but believes that his knowledge in the business world including holding a top executive position of Coca-Cola positions him to fix Liberia’s major problem, which is the lack of real economic growth.
In the mind of Cummings, Liberia’s numerous problems boil down to the way the economy is structured and the limited impact on the people. Once that is solved, he says, it will lead to the creation of jobs as well as an increase in revenue collection.
He has likened his economic version to a bowl of rice, one that he is uniquely qualified to help grow — saying when the bowl gets bigger, that’s more jobs, better education, infrastructure, and so forth.
These refreshing ideals, analysts noted, have helped Cummings’ presidential campaign to gain significant momentum, boldly defying the projection that the outcome of the elections may end up between the Weah and Boakai as a result of their cross-county appeal and popularity of their respective popular institutions.
In 2017, Cummings despite spending heavily and entering the presidential race 18 months ahead of time, secured a 5th place overall but came third in Montserrado County, even though he lost his home county of Maryland to Weah — yet performing better than Boakai there.
Montserrado, which Cummings believes he can win this time, is a battleground for all parties — even though it has historically favored the opposition — most especially when Weah was the leading opposition candidate.
He is also banking on his choice of running mate — Cllr. Charlyne Brumskine, daughter of the late Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine, the founder of the Liberty Party.
The younger Brumskine who is stepping in her father’s shoes, comes with a family name that is deeply entrenched in Liberian politics — and a household name in the legal profession — particularly in Grand Bassa and among the Bassa people who are among the largest tribe in Liberia.
Cummings is of the belief that if Brumskine delivers Grand Bassa, which Weah won in 2017, and Rivercess, along with a strong performance in vote-rich Bong Country as a result of former Senator Henry Yallah’s support, he can win the presidency.
Bong, which is one of the top three battlegrounds, is home to Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor who, despite declining popularity, still remains a popular figure in the county. In 2017, Cummings performed poorly in the county despite having Jeremiah Sulunteh, a son of Bong as his running mate.
But the task, which Cummings is aware is a heavy one, is achievable as he and his supporters are banking on “silent voters” in these counties to shake the status quo as he aggressively marks himself as an antidote to a political class “accused of corruption and bad governance.”
Earlier, in remarks at the pre-victory rally, Cummings's running mate cautioned Liberians against repeating past mistakes of electing wrong leaders blamed for the hardship and suffering of the vast majority.
Brumskine denounced the 12-year rule of the Unity Party for rampant corruption and the six-year inept leadership of President Weah for massive fraud and poor governance.
“You can't leave from 12 years of suffering, endure another six years of hardship and suffering, and want to go back. Liberians must vote them out,” Brumskine said. Reject both the Unity Party and the Coalition for Democratic Change at the October 10 poll.”