-President-elect Joseph Boakaivows
By Jerromie S. Walters
Considering its decades of struggle for patriotic leadership and good governance from administration to administration, Liberia’s President-elect, Joseph Nyuma Boakai, says his presidency will deliver a new dawn for Liberians, as he vows to make Liberia different under his leadership.
Mr. Boakai spoke Wednesday, December 27, 2023, during his certification ceremony by the National Elections Commission (NEC), as the winner of the November 14, 2023, presidential election, at the Commission’s headquarters in Sinkor.
Boakai: “On this occasion, we want to demonstrate our gratitude and renew our commitment to the Liberian People. With this certification, I pledge that Liberia will be different under my leadership. We will not betray you! We will work tirelessly for you! We will ensure that you benefit from your votes!”
Over the next few weeks and during his inauguration, he says he, along with his Vice President will lay out the road map for progress and development. “We will fully articulate the pathway to peace, development, and progress.”
Boakai: “Fellow Liberians and our Friends, what we all applaud today will not be meaningful without the full involvement of all Liberians and the international community. This event will be meaningless if Liberians cannot benefit from the dividends of democracy.”
He says this must not be seen as a perfunctory undertaking. In his opinion, it must be felt in every village, town, and city and it must also reverberate throughout the region and the world. Therefore, he called upon all Liberians to join him in building the country.
As the pillar behind the smooth conduct of the October 10, and November 14, 2023, elections, the President-elect recognized the role played by the National Elections Commission for also what he described as “correctly interpreting and announcing the votes of the Liberia people.”
“We are grateful to our international and regional partners who supported and invested in an idea that has flourished.
We want to thank our political adversaries, particularly President Weah who conceded even before the last vote was counted. He has also committed his government to a peaceful transition. We expect that the will of the People has prevailed, and we must all listen,” Boakai.
Boakai: “Many men and women: Soldiers for Democracy paid the ultimate price so our democracy could survive the various threats and onslaught to its survival. We thank God that they lived, and they have bequeathed to us this day. Our lives and service must reflect a fitting tribute to the many heroes and heroines on whose shoulders we now stand. We must nationally celebrate a watershed moment in our history and our search for democratic consolidation.”
He says Liberia has had its share of difficulties and is now in a sea of democratic uncertainties regionally and globally, and the nation has demonstrated to the world that it can truly be different. “We can offer a model and set good examples. We can boast of peaceful elections and act responsibly to ensure a smooth and peaceful transition. What we celebrate today is the outcome of years of turmoil: a military coup, an aberration of democracy, betrayals, and now we can all acknowledge the reward of collective endurance.”
Mr. Boakai and guests at the occasion paid homage to the many whose blood, sweat, and tears offered them the opportunity to gather at the event (His certification), and particularly extended condolences to the citizens who lost their lives as the result of the fuel tanker exploration yesterday in Totota, Bong County.
At the same time, he expressed thanks to his Family, “especially my darling wife of decades who stood by me through these challenging times. The Unity Party has proven and trusted me to bear its standard. The great alliance formed with women and men of fortitude. The Liberian People who not only voted but with determination protected their votes.”
