Liberia: Harper Mayoress Eyes District Seat

On March 28,  the port city of Harper, Maryland was a scene of attraction as citizens of the district turned out in the thousands to welcome their Mayoress, Ellen Howe Tweh.

Mayoress Tweh had been away from the city for more than five months, attending official functions and training aimed at building the capacity and encouraging women to take up the challenge against their male counterparts for national duty. 

The Harper City Mayoress, who is also the current Maryland County chair for the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), returned with a resounding message that she intends to enter the race for the Harper District Seat at the House of Representatives come 2023. She said her intention is based on calls made by many citizens of the district, as well as from the international community, especially promoting the cause of women’s participation in national decision making.

The Mayoress of Harper, at the same time, urged her fellow women to take advantage of the continued call by the international community to take a stance in national decision-making. Mayoress Tweh further said for a society to be well developed and recognized, women must be given key consideration in the decision-making process. 

“We are blessed by God and we have the potential to make things happen. Let us fight the marginalization and create the platform for our voices to be heard. Give me the needed support to succeed as the next representative come 2023, Mayoress Tweh said.

The Harper city Mayoress, who is rallying the support of women in the district, said if they are powerful and strong, supporting each other will send a strong message to their male counterparts, indicating that women are prepared to make the difference in building the society.

The Mayoress further disclosed that the training she attended, organized by UN Women, enabled her to discover how valuable, potential, and important women are in a developing society such as Liberia.  The Harper District Seat, which is currently occupied by P. Mike Jurry from the former ruling Unity Party, will be highly contested in the ensuing 2023 elections.

Those representative hopefuls wishing to replace Representative Jurry include, but not limited to: Mr. William Wallace, Director, Port of Harper; Mr. Jonathan Harmon, Township Commissioner, Jacksonville Township; Mr. David Muhlenburg; Ms. Salome Nyanti Nimely; Thomas Williams, a Physician Assistant; Mrs. Lucy Jappay Davis Momo; Joseph D. Tommey Jr; J. Tatu Clark; and Mr. A. Wakla Neufville. 

It is said to believe that since Maryland joined Liberia as a county in 1857, Harper District has been predominantly represented by males at the House of Representatives, with only one female, Sally Howe, who was a representative prior to the outbreak of the civil crisis in Liberia.