-VP Koung embraces oneness
By Jerromie S. Walters
At the observance of this year’s Unification Day celebration, Liberia’s Vice President Jeremiah Koung stressed the essentiality of constructive criticism in a functioning democracy like Liberia and encouraged tolerance and acceptance of opposing views.
VP Koung and his Boss President Joseph Boakai narrowly won former President George Weah in November’s run-off poll, with 50.64 percent of the vote to 49.36 percent. This has acknowledged that the country is divided and needs reconciliation and unity.
Since their ascendancy to state power, the Boakai-Koung administration has been criticized and accused of witch-hunting and fueling division amongst Liberians. However, both President Boakai and Vice President Koung have repeatedly emphasized that there’s nothing like a blue (CDC) and green (UP) Liberia.
To heighten this, Vice President Koung, while representing President Joseph Boakai at the 64th Unification Day celebration Tuesday, May 14, 2024, rallied supporters of the ruling establishment to exercise caution on destructive criticisms and refrain from acts that undermine the peace. “To us, members of the ruling Government, I encourage us to remain tolerant, accepting that criticisms are crucial ingredients of a functioning democracy. We must embrace the critical views of others in good faith and make the appropriate adjustments to our strategies for addressing the socio-economic needs of our people.”
VP Koung: “While we have received many commendations from friendly nations across the world on the improvement of our democratic credentials, we must exercise caution on destructive criticisms and refrain from acts that undermine our peace and democracy. I am aware that our political landscape is divided on strong socioeconomic and political lines; however, we must remain vigilant to ensure that our political disagreements do not divide us but that we create an environment conducive for the exchange of opposing ideas to improve our system of governance, which will in turn uplift the lives of our people,” he said.
VP Koung emphasized, “Let me emphasize that there is no Green, Red, Yellow, or Blue Liberia; instead, it is the Republic of Liberia consisting of people with different political persuasions. To you, citizens and members of the opposition, we thank you for continuously keeping Our Government’s feet to the fire; it is your criticisms and suggestions which keeps us focused and determined to deliver on our promises to the Liberian people.”
He commended the resilience of the Liberian people in maintaining peace despite political, ethnic, and religious differences. VP Koung emphasized that national unity is essential for peaceful coexistence and called on all Liberians to prioritize the interests of the nation over individual interests. He acknowledged the challenges that still exist but urged citizens to continue working towards a more united and integrated Liberia.
Vice President Koung urged the current generation to prioritize national unity and sacrifice individual interests for the greater good of the nation. “We MUST sacrifice our individual interests for National interests, only then will the Unity and Integration we seek for Liberia be Possible! Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my conviction that we have come of age, our experiences have taught us that Unity is the umbrella which protects us from external threats and serves as the most essential requirement for peaceful coexistence.”
He said, “Let me at this juncture applaud all stakeholders who continue to make immense sacrifices to keep this nation peaceful and stable; I believe that Liberia is gradually emerging as a post-conflict success story, because we continue to make significant progress in unifying our people at all levels of society. Yes, we have more work to do, but as we take stock of what we have achieved thus far, we must remain aware of the past mistakes which plunged us into our darkest times.”
VP Koung, “This year’s National Unification and Integration Day theme: “Healing the past, Uniting the Present and Embracing the future through Arts and Culture”, presents a clear pathway to enable us achieve National Unity. Across the 15 counties of Liberia, there are similarities in the culture and arts of our people, which upholds a sense of a shared African identity, and which could be employed foster unity.“
The Liberian Vice President hailed Liberians, “My fellow Liberians, on this National Unification and Integration Day, I want to commend all of you, including those of you in the diaspora, for keeping our political discourse civil and peaceful. Even when we disagree, we must do so, bearing in mind that we all share in the glory when this nation makes progress, and we will all collectively bear the consequences if we go backwards.”
Reminding Liberians
VP Koung used the occasion to remind Liberians about the dark side of the country’s history and the essence of keeping the existing peace. “Let it be known that the bonds which tie us together as a people are much stronger than the elements which intend to divide us. Although our history informs us about the long-standing divides between “Americo-Liberians” and “Indigenous Liberians”, which contributed to a fourteen (14) year civil war, our government has a responsibility to change these negative narratives. Today, Liberia enjoys a representative democracy, in which the voices of all Liberians are heard through the ballot process.”
He added, “It is with a sense of pride that I can today report that Liberians live in a society where the exclusions and deprivation of basic individuals’ rights suffered by people based on their ethnicity are a thing of the past. There are no “Americo-Liberians” or “Indigenous Liberians”; we are one people with one common patrimony, striving to achieve a shared destiny, a better Liberia for our children to inherit.”
The Vice President thanked international partners for their support in promoting democracy and peace in Liberia. ”To you, our international partners and friends, we are grateful for your unwavering support for our democratic process, which secures our peace and consequently promotes national unity. Your support to our development agenda sends a clear signal that Liberia continues to get the necessary attention and support, as we seek to build a better Liberia,” he noted.
Unification Day is celebrated annually as a public national holiday in Liberia. The day is in consonance with an act of Legislature of the Republic passed in 1960, declaring the 14th of May of each year as a National Unification Day, realizing the benefits to be accrued from the Unification and Integration Policy.
