Urey Reaffirms Commitment to Boakai’s Presidential Bid

The Political Leader of the opposition All Liberian Party (ALP), Benoni W. Urey, has reiterated his support for the candidacy of former Vice President, Joseph N. Boakai, to head the ticket of the Collaborating Political Party in the 2023 presidential election. 

The CPP, which is regarded as the main opposition bloc in the country, comprises the former ruling Unity Party (UP), Alternative National Congress (ANC), Liberty Party (LPP) and the All Liberian Party (ALP). 

According to Mr. Urey, the former Vice President is best prepared to lead the CPP Presidential Ticket for 2023 because he is “more experienced and educated politically with convincing testing results. 

Mr. Urey recalled that when he first expressed his support for former VP Boakai as being well-prepared to head the CPP Presidential ticket in the 2023 Elections, he was persecuted by other political parties with all the worst said about him.  Nevertheless, he said he maintained his stand, believing that it was the reality and still remains the truth. 

Though he did not disclose which parties ridiculed him, the ALP political leader indicated that all the worst things were said about him.   

In his plea for support to the former VP, Mr. Urey noted that Boakai has some religious values and a better orientation that are suitable for leadership, especially ones that eschew corruption,  social discrimination and injustices. 

Mr. Urey has been defending the former Vice President even during the 2017 presidential debate wherein both were in opposition.  At that time, late Cllr. Charles W. Brumskine, then political leader of the Liberty Party, attacked the former Vice President saying that he was a tribalist.

In a quick and stern response, Mr. Urey said, “No, I don’t think Joe is a tribalist.”

At the same time, the ALP political leader has dispelled rumors that there is an internal conflict within the realm of the CPP.

He, however, acknowledged that there are disagreements within the CPP as it is in any normal political arena. “In every political gathering, there will be agreements and disagreements. Bringing four diverse political parties together is not something that will happen without disagreements considering that each party has its own agenda,” the ALP Political Leader further asserted. 

Speaking further, Mr. Urey pointed out that all of the leaders of CPP are committed to the framework document they affixed their signatures to and they will not do anything to undermine it.

Among other things, the framework calls for rotational leadership whereby a political leader from one party will lead at a time.  Mr. Urey himself has been in the leadership followed by Alexander Cummings and now Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, political leader of the Liberty Party.

Furthermore, it set a timeline for an election of a candidate who will head the presidential ticket, and Mr. Urey said he is very optimistic former VP Boakai will take that post because he has proven his abilities to lead.

If the process leading to the election of a standard bearer does not effectively meet the purpose, Mr. Urey said the CPP will conduct a voter perception survey to give a sense as to whom the people trust to lead them.

In order to maintain the unity and commitment to the collaboration, Mr. Urey is calling on all political leaders not to use their disagreements to derail the objective and goals of the CPP, but must work together to build the Liberian people’s trust.